WASHINGTON -- Vendors said they expect to reopen by the end of the week after an early-morning fire gutted the District's Eastern Market on Monday.D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department spokesman Alan Etter said the blaze was first reported shortly before 1 a.m.
"When we arrived there was heavy fire showing from the rear of the building. There was also some significant extension up to the roof area," Etter said.The blaze quickly went to three alarms because of the volume of fire, Etter said. Commanders made the decision to pull the firefighters out to keep them safe and firefighters began an exterior attack.Part of the building's roof collapsed, Etter said.About 160 firefighters battled the blaze. Etter said it burned heavily for more than two hours before the flames were brought under control."There has been some significant damage, particularly to the southern end of this structure," Etter said.Investigators said the fire could have started in a large trash bin near the rear of the building, News4 reported. Officials said a fire was reported in another trash bin overnight on Capitol Hill.The buildings that make up Eastern Market are located on land that was designated for market use during Thomas Jefferson's presidency. The older of the two structures on the property has served as a market building continuously since 1873. The buildings are owned by the city government.Police had closed several major commuter routes through the area. They have been reopened.Vendors said Monday that the market will reopen on Saturday.
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