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Cost of Camden fire to hit £30m
Benedict Moore-Bridger and Jonathan Prynn11.02.08
The bill for the blaze which devastated Camden Market could top £30 million.
Shops and stalls were gutted by 100ft flames which swept through the market on Saturday night. More than 450 people had to leave their homes with some spending the night in a sports centre.
The Hawley Arms, a pub used by Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty, may have to be demolished and is one of 300 businesses under threat. No one was hurt in the blaze.
Winehouse dedicated her success at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles to Camden saying: "This is for London because Camden Town is burning down."
Drinkers including Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles and Sadie Frost's boyfriend Kristian Marr were among those evacuated from the pub as flames and thick smoke poured in.
As police and fire investigators continue to probe the cause of the fire today, traders vowed to re-open, possibly as early as next week. The market is estimated to attract 30 million visitors a year.
Some traders criticised the fire brigade over its response. Ruth Mottram, one of the owners of the Hawley Arms, questioned the time which firefighters took to bring the blaze under control.
She said: "When our staff called the fire brigade the fire was a long way away from us. The pub was evacuated at 7.10pm and there was no immediate fire risk. We did not think for one minute that it would make its way to where we were.
"Obviously there are lots of questions, like why did it take so long to get the necessary firefighters there? I am sure lots of things will come out in the next few days. I just hope that it is looked at properly and not just swept under the carpet."
Two fire engines arrived within minutes of the first 999 call, but it was not until more than an hour later that sufficient resources needed to tackle the fire were in position. It took 20 fire engines and 100 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.
Eric Braun, who lives in Hawley Crescent close to the pub, said: "The fire spread rapidly and the fire brigade was slow to respond."
But London Fire Brigade said its reaction had been adequate and appropriate, as it was forced to call on fire engines from across north London.
It is thought that wooden market stalls caused the flames to spread rapidly. Fire chiefs said they had pinpointed where the fire started, believed to be in an alley next to the pub, but could not confirm how it began.
Nigel Hall, of London Fire Brigade, said: "We've got some witness statements already. We won't know the cause of the incident until our investigators have managed to get in there once the building has been made safe. We'll investigate the seat of the fire along with the police."
Structural engineers were today inspecting what was left of the damaged buildings.
The council met shop and stall owners last night and came under immediate attack for not helping more in the aftermath of the blaze.
Kenan Urkan, whose shop Kenurkan was destroyed, said: "All they said was, 'We are not an insurance company'. I paid £25,000 in business rates this year."
The bill for repairing the damaged buildings will run to around £20million, according to Graham Crumb, deputy managing director of insurance company Balcombe Group.
On top of that, each of the affected traders can be expected to make claims for up to £100,000 for loss of stock and business interruption, adding another £10 million to the insurance bill. Some traders admitted they were not fully insured.
Many of the smaller stall holders could not get insurance and are looking to the market owner, Camden Market Holdings, for compensation.
Ibrahim Koryam, 30, ran a kebab shop and could not persuade any company to insure him. He said: "I thought the market had insurance, but they say no. Half of my shop is gone and at least £3,000 of food is burned."
A spokeswoman for Camden council said it would "do all it could for locals and businesses".
Camden Market Holdings, said: "We want to meet the stallholders and the local community as soon as we can to show that we are fully committed to recreating the market as soon as possible."
Reader views (3)
I am sorry for your loss, Real. However, you lived in a boho area of edgy charm. You can't have the unique Camden vibe and the reassurance of regulation. One will negate the other. Camden was, and I hope will be again, a place where a spirit of eccentricity and freedom is given the space to be. The price is risk. It's hard on you Real, but take it on the chin. If you want both Camden and a risk-free life, live somewhere else and pay the place visits.
- Paul, London
Surely everyone was fully insured?
- Paul, London
Camden council have clearly been neglectful in ensuring that a basic level of fire health and safety measures were in place at the market. Fire-spread prevention is essential in all commercial and residential premises. This reflects a similar experience I had in my own property (above a restaurant) where a fire rapidly spread. I was told by Camden Council that the restaurant did not need to have a fire barrier between themselves and my flat due to being 'pre-regulation'. In view of the fact the restaurant was cooking with electricity, gas, and oil, that is shameful.
Half of London burnt down in the Great Fire and what have we learned? Nothing.
- Real, London UK
