Fire Destroys Century-Old S.D. Building : Scores Flee 4-Alarm Blaze at Marketplace

A spectacular fire that sent a monstrous cloud of smoke billowing over San Diego’s downtown warehouse district Tuesday afternoon destroyed the Farmers Bazaar and century-old building housing it.

Miraculously, an estimated 200 shoppers and 50 employees escaped unharmed, although four firefighters were injured.

Fire Department spokesman Larry Stewart said firefighters responding to the initial alarm at 2:39 p.m. found the building burning fiercely, with flames shooting from every door and window. At 4:20 p.m., cautious Fire Department commanders were still reluctant to proclaim the blaze under control, as huge redwood beams continued to burn in a giant heap of rubble. Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night to monitor the smoldering ruins.

Four Firefighters Injured

Four of the 120 firefighters sent to battle the flames were injured: one suffered heat exhaustion and was taken to a hospital, and three others incurred minor injuries that were treated at the scene.

The four-alarm fire consumed half a city block along the north side of L Street between 7th and 8th avenues. Smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air and could be seen from at least 15 miles away.

Losses were estimated to be $1.5 million. The Farmers Bazaar was a downtown produce emporium of common and exotic fruits and vegetables frequented by the poor--many of whom were recent immigrants--and yuppies alike. The market had become a downtown institution in its 13 years of operation. The bazaar also housed a fish market, barbershop, restaurants and a small theater company.

The burned-out building is owned by businessman and developer Tom Hom, who arrived at the scene and watched in shock from a block away as firefighters battled the flames.

“I think that the Farmers Bazaar has become an institution in San Diego. I’d hate to let it die like this,” said Hom, who once served on the City Council.

Hom said Tuesday evening that he will replace the Farmers Bazaar: “We’ll do something where we can create that atmosphere again. Downtown deserves another Farmers Bazaar. I’ve decided to redo it.”

Hom, who has owned the entire block since 1976, said he is unsure whether he will rebuild on the same site or on other property he owns nearby. “We can’t get a 1889 building again, but we’ll see what we can do.”

Senior firefighters said it could be days before the fire’s cause is ascertained. A team of arson investigators arrived at the scene, but it will be today at the earliest before they can examine the ruins to try and determine the origin of the blaze. Several merchants told firefighters that the fire appeared to start on the second floor.

Firefighters also worked furiously to keep flames from spreading to the historic Western Metal Supply Co. building adjacent to the bazaar. The five-story brick structure is used primarily as a warehouse and has a handful of shops on the bottom floor. Nervous fire commanders worried out loud about a leaking gas line inside the Western Metal building.

Concern Over Gas Leak

A San Diego Gas & Electric employee dispatched to the scene Tuesday afternoon said a shut-off valve was inside but warned that it was still too dangerous to enter the Western Metal building. Fortunately, the leaking gas line never ignited, and the building escaped with only minor damage.

Two people, including Deborah Omen, 33, were rescued from the Western Metal building. Omen was in a fifth-story room when the fire began. She used a board to break out a window and was attempting to flee down a fire escape when a firefighter told her to remain inside. Two firefighters went inside and led her to safety.

Fire Department spokesman Stewart said the Farmers Bazaar building had no sprinkler system but had passed periodic Fire Department inspections.

Besides the largely wooden stalls inside, the fire fed on the ancient redwood beams that framed the cavernous building and the wooden mezzanine, which was once a hayloft.

A strong wind that blew steadily in from the bay fanned the blaze and made it difficult for firefighters to direct streams of water at the base for the flames. The heat inside was so intense that the sheet-metal sides buckled and popped loudly.

Indication of Intensity

The heat also ignited the wooden power poles across L Street. The metal brace bars atop the poles were at one point glowing red. Almost two hours after the fire began, two SDG&E; trucks with remote-controlled nozzles were permitted to move into the area to douse the smoldering poles with water.

Thanh Trang, who owned the fish market inside the Farmers Bazaar, said the fire began quickly on the second floor. “I heard a lot of people yelling. Then I heard my wife yell, ‘Fire!’ and we ran out.”

Guadalupe Pantoja, who owned the Italian Village delicatessen, said there was some panic but everyone inside got out safely. “It was panicky for a while. . . . Everybody could smell smoke, but nobody knew where it was coming from.”

She added that she tried dialing 911 from her shop phone but the telephone lines were dead. Then, she ran next door and called the Fire Department, Pantoja said. According to Pantoja, it took firefighters 20 minutes to arrive, despite the presence of a fire station only three blocks away.

Response Delay Denied

Stewart denied that it took 20 minutes for firefighters to respond.

“What happened is that it probably took them 20 minutes to call us, because we’re only three blocks away,” Stewart said.

At the turn of the century, the building housed a livery stable and carriage house. As a youth, Hom sold Saturday Evening Post and Liberty magazines to workers in the building that he later bought.

Fire Capt. Charles Mullen was off duty and happened to be walking with his wife near the Farmers Bazaar when the fire broke out. He said he reported the fire by telephone and began directing traffic near J Street and 7th Avenue as scores of employees and shoppers fled the building.

Mullen said several cars parked on L Street, at the south end of the building, were burned, including a delivery truck and a newer van that exploded minutes after the building became engulfed in flames.

“It was a chaotic scene,” Mullen said. “Cars were almost running into each other around here.”

Times staff writer Andrew LePage contributed to this story.