Vendors at The Market of Marion Flea Market are back in business after fire

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – It's back to business for vendors at The Market of Marion Flea Market after a fire ripped through one of its metal structures Monday night. 

Adam Shaddix, the general manager, showed News 6 the charred remains of what was once South C Isle.

"For a bad situation, we were very lucky. It was very overwhelming. Didn't know what to think," Shaddix said.

Firefighters used 30,000 gallons of water to put out flames that destroyed the metal structure housing 10 shops.

Shaddix said some of the shops included a large estate sale, a shop selling birds and bird cages, a bookstore and a kitchen gadget shop.

Shaddix said the bird cage vendor has been with the flea market since it opened in 1988 and the fire destroyed most of his inventory.

"I think he's getting through it. I think he's ready to get back into business," Shaddix said.

The flea market shut down Friday but it's now back up and running. Shaddix said the next step is to help all the vendors who were affected.

"If they want to be moved or relocated, we're more than happy to do that for them and take care of some rent and help them out anyway that we can," he said.

Shaddix said the cause of the fire is still unknown and it'll take a couple hundred thousand dollars to rebuild.

But, he said the fire hasn't stopped the 300 vendors from calling The Market of Marion their home.

"We're back in business, come on down,."