Fire destroyed a flea market in Schenectady, N.Y., over the weekend. The mixed use building at 1671 Crane Street contained the Para Enterprises Flea Market, a prosthetics business, and five apartments. Local fire officials were alerted at 11:30 p.m. Saturday night about the blaze, which produced a lot of smoke as well as several secondary explosions, possibly from acetylene tanks on site. Firefighters worked through Sunday morning to quench the blaze. There were no reported human injuries, although a cat was killed and two others are missing.
According to Fox23News.com, property owner Mark Noga watched the back of his building burn to the ground. “It’s been in my family for 25, almost 30 years,” Noga says. While he’s glad all five tenants made it out safely Saturday night, Noga can’t help but to think about his shop downstairs, the flea market, and the history of the property. “It’s tough, there is just so much loss, and there is nothing you can do,” Noga says.
Photo credits, with thanks: YNN, Google Maps, Schenectady Daily Gazette.com.