Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 28, 1992 TAG: 9203280124
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KEVIN KITTREDGE
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"I don't know yet what we're going to do," said Stewart. He said the market would cost some $450,000 to rebuild. It burned early Thursday in a fire of suspicious origin, authorities say.
The 60-yard-old market, a half-acre warren of wooden stalls that has stood off Roanoke Streetsince 1933, drew farmers from at least five counties to buy and sell cows, hogs and horses.
It was a place where cattlemen could find not only livestock inside but a good pocketknife or hunting dog in informal trading in the parking lot, farmers say.
It has caught fire at least three times in the past several years, including Thursday, Christiansburg Fire Chief Jim Epperly said.
"It's impossible to keep any kind of security" at the market, the fire chief said. "Just anybody could have access to it. All you have to do is climb a fence."
No one was charged in connection with the earlier fires, and Stewart said they may have been accidents. "Maybe kids playing or something like that. I don't believe they were intentional."
Epperly declined to say if he thought the earlier incidents were related to Thursday's fire.
In the previous fires, much of the livestock market was saved.
But on Thursday, some 20 firefighters were unable to stop a rapid blaze that left little but a crumpled tin roof. Stewart, who has owned the livestock market for more than 40 years, said he is certain the fire was intentionally set. He said the major sources for an electrical fire - the kitchen and office - were not the first things that burned.
Also, said Stewart, the fire spread very quickly.
Reports of the fire started coming in about 4:40 a.m. Thursday, firefighters said. By the time Stewart got there a little after five, he said, "It was just a square of fire."
The livestock market was open every Thursday. Stewart said the market two days ago was to be larger than usual - but he doesn't think that figured into the motive.
"Somebody was going to burn it and that was the night they picked, I guess," Stewart said. He said he does not know what the motive was.
Stewart also said the market "is a part of me. And then I know all the people [who came each Thursday]. People have been coming there for years and years and years and years. . . . I'll miss it a lot."
by CNB