Fire ravages Paris tourist attraction with flames seen from miles away as emergency crews swarm

Fire ravages Paris tourist attraction with flames seen from miles away as emergency crews swarm The popular Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris has been completely destroyed after a blaze in the early hours of this morning A massive fire has destroyed a popular Paris market with flames seen across the city. The Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd arrondissement was completely engulfed in flames last night, according to the mayor and local firefighters. The covered market houses numerous food stalls and producers and is popular with local residents and tourists alike. Firefighters descended on the scene after the alarm was raised around 4:15 am. Fire crews arrived to find the market was already fully engulfed by flames. Lieutenant-Colonel de Bouvier said: "High flames were affecting the entire covered market" when his team arrived in the early hours of this morning. Ariel Weil, mayor of Paris Centre, announced that the fire was "under control" but that the market was "totally destroyed." Paris firefighters confirmed that 1,000 square meters of the market had been"destroyed by the flames." "The covered market has been completely destroyed. There is nothing left," Lieutenant-Colonel de Bouvier told local news outlet BFMTV. Images were posted on social media of the flames leaping high into the night skies above Paris. The damage is extensive, with at least two-thirds of the market's metal structure having collapsed, in the inferno, firefighters said. The blaze has now been extinguished but fire crews are still on site, picking through the wreckage to ensure there is no further risk of fire. This work is expected to last until at least early afternoon. The cause of the fire is currently unknown. The borough mayor is urging people to avoid the area and praised the firefighters' "strength" and "efficiency." In total, some fifty vehicles and more than 150 firefighters were deployed. An investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire.