An investigation is under way after a fire tore through market stalls in Kingston’s Market Place in the early hours of this morning, destroying a row of traders’ pitches and scorching the fronts of nearby buildings.
The blaze broke out shortly after 4am on Tuesday (October 6), sending thick smoke drifting across the historic square in south-west London. Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters rushed to the scene to battle the flames.
Crews worked for roughly two hours to bring the fire under control. By the time it was finally extinguished just after 6am, a number of market stalls had been completely destroyed. The fire also damaged the fascia of a row of properties fronting the square, and a small section of one neighbouring property’s roof was affected.
A Metropolitan Police cordon was thrown up around Market Place while crews tackled the blaze. Officers evacuated eight people from the surrounding area as a precaution. Mercifully, there are no reports of any injuries.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire on Market Place in Kingston upon Thames. A range of market stalls were destroyed by the fire.”
They added: “The fire also affected the fascia of a range of properties and a small part of the roof of a neighbouring property. Eight people were evacuated from the area by the Metropolitan Police Service. There are no reports of any injuries.”
Cause being investigated
The cause of the fire is now being jointly investigated by police and the London Fire Brigade. Fire investigators are expected to examine the scene in Market Place over the coming days, with the exact source of the blaze yet to be established.
Officers are likely to want to hear from anyone who was in the area in the early hours of Tuesday morning and may have seen or heard anything unusual. The square, which sits at the very centre of Kingston town centre, is normally a hive of activity long before dawn as traders arrive to set up their stalls for the day.
Fire investigations following serious blazes are a regular part of the Brigade’s work across the capital, as seen after the Neutron Tower blaze in Poplar, where residents remained in temporary accommodation while the aftermath was dealt with.
A market at the heart of Kingston for 800 years
The fire has struck at the very heart of one of London’s oldest and best-loved markets. Kingston has been a market town for more than eight centuries, with its royal charter to hold a market granted by King John in 1208. Market Place, watched over by the handsome stone Market House, has been the centre of trading life in the town ever since.
Generations of shoppers have browsed its stalls for fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, food and household goods. Today the market trades seven days a week, its familiar pink-canopied pitches — like those in the photograph above — a fixture of daily life in the town centre and a draw for visitors from across south-west London.
That long history makes today’s damage all the more painful for the town. For the stallholders whose pitches were destroyed, the blaze is a devastating personal blow: market traders typically invest thousands of pounds in their stock, equipment and canopies, and an overnight fire can wipe out a livelihood in a matter of hours.
Fire safety warning for market traders
The Kingston blaze is a stark reminder of how quickly fire can take hold among tightly packed stalls laden with stock, cardboard and packaging. London Fire Brigade guidance for market traders stresses a handful of simple precautions that can make all the difference:
- Make sure all electrical equipment is properly tested, undamaged and switched off overnight
- Store gas canisters and fuel securely, well away from heat sources and cooking equipment
- Keep stock, cardboard and packaging away from heaters, lighting rigs and generators
- Fit suitable fire extinguishers on stalls and make sure staff know how to use them
- Clear combustible rubbish regularly and report any damaged electrics to the market operator
Crews across London deal with a steady stream of fire call-outs, from market stalls to a vehicle fire in Southgate that forced road closures earlier this year.
Latest police activity in Kingston
The Market Place fire is the latest incident to bring a heavy police presence to the town. Kingston officers have been busy in recent months, including a raid in which 450 nitrous oxide canisters were seized and three people arrested.
Traders and shoppers can expect to see a continued police presence around Market Place while the investigation into the fire continues and the damage is fully assessed. Anyone with information about the blaze is asked to contact the Metropolitan Police.
