Tulsa Flea Market Reopens After Fire

Sunday, August 20th 2006, 6:21 pm

By: News On 6

Last week, a fire destroyed their livelihoods. Sunday, only a few went back to business as usual. With major damage at the Admiral Flea Market, even those who came back had to find a new place to set up shop.

Mike Escodero says his three booths at the Admiral Flea Market were right where the fire started. $10,000 worth of merchandise was burned up in minutes.

One week and another shipment of merchandise later, Escodero is back in business outside, but at a price. "Usually we leave like at 6:30, now we're leaving at about 4:00 because of the heat. And there's no people for the same reason: they don't want to walk outside cause of the heat. It's too hot."

The roar of generators almost drowns out the hum of the air conditioner next door at Patricia Silbar's space. She lost even more. She helps run 9 booths inside. Altogether, they estimate they lost half their merchandise.

She says moving what they could outside was a chore. "Well, we worked all week, like all week from morning to like 7:00 at night."

She says they've had to sell water, smoke and fire damaged goods. Altogether, the flea market suffered a quarter-million dollars worth of damage, but vendors say they're not ready to give up on it.

Mike Escodero: "They said they were going to reconstruct everything in like 6 to 7 months but hopefully they'll do it sooner so we can go back inside."

Until then, they say as long as customers keep coming, they'll have something to sell. After all, they still have to make up for everything they lost in the fire.