The brightly lit, colorful food carts at 7238 SE Foster Road contrasted cheerfully with the gray, rainy day when they reopened on Jan. 26.
It's the first milestone in a much-longer recovery process, and the main building in the Portland Mercado complex will remain closed for the immediate future. For now, loyal customers lined up for take-out in a triumphant step forward from the fire that shut down the Mercado on Jan. 3.
The Mercado is managed by the Latino-led Hacienda Community Development Corporation, serving Latino small businesses in Oregon. The fire, still under investigation, destroyed the Barrio bar, Xŏcotl juice bar, commissary kitchen and a market hall with a dining area. Hacienda CDC CEO Ernesto Fonseca intends to rebuild and reopen the burned area while community members show an outpouring of support.
Latino entrepreneurs grow their businesses by renting affordable retail space at the Portland Mercado. Customers choose from Colombian, Mexican, Cuban, Peruvian, Mayan and Oaxacan cuisine at six food carts.
Fernando Rodriguez, owner of Fernando’s Alegría food cart, said he lost thousands of dollars in food supplies that were stored in the burned building. Food cart owners had to wait for power and water to be restored and then for the inspector to give the green light for reopening. This was all interrupted by the ice storm in January, but now all food carts are up and running.
“It was difficult,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve got to start from zero really, all new. We’re back again. The food carts are open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day.”
Rebuilding bigger and better
Now that the food carts are open, Hacienda CDC has every intention of moving forward with rebuilding Barrio and other parts of the Mercado. This will take time but Fonseca is undeterred by the challenge.
“For us it’s a roller coaster ride. Standing there watching your property go down in flames is not good,” Fonseca said. “As time goes by, hope is kicking in. For me, any of these crises energizes me, upsets me and makes me want to do more and more and more. I am energized more than ever before. I get into overdrive. It's getting easier. Mercado is coming back stronger and better than ever.”
The insurance company and Portland Fire & Rescue are launching a dual investigation into the cause of the fire, which will take about six months. Rebuilding will take close to a year, most likely bringing the building to completion in summer 2025.
After the all-clear to go into affected areas, workers will need to tear down damaged parts before starting new construction. So far, they are removing drywall and ceiling trusses. Following a full review there will be a remodel and expansion; the extent of changes will be decided when there is an understanding of how much insurance will pay, Fonseca said.
“There will be a significant investment from owners,” he said.
The community has stepped up rapidly with fundraising efforts. The Portland Mercado Fire Relief Fund raised $255,726 in just over three weeks and closed on Jan. 30. This money will go directly to the vendors.
Angela Martin serves on the board of directors for Hacienda CDC. She has seen fellow nonprofits and service providers step forward with donations.
“Sometimes endings are beginnings and tragedy reveals what was always holding us together,” Martin said.
About 50% of funding came from institutional parties and 50% from the community. Individuals have contributed as well as large groups like Meyer Memorial Trust, Port of Portland and the Oregon Community Foundation.
When the fire happened, Fonseca received messages of support from vendors, politicians and businesses. The governor contacted him right away and he heard from state senators. He even received text messages from people he doesn’t know and wonders how they got his number.
The next fundraiser will be for the buildings. This is the capital campaign.
“We are shifting to new fundraising to redesign and build to make a better and more substantial Mercado,” Fonseca said. “My commitment is to the entire community. I will do whatever it takes to bring this back.”
A GoFundMe effort is also underway to raise money for Chris Shimamoto, owner of Barrio bar. Anna Erwert is raising money because Barrio has a special meaning to her. She has enjoyed spending time there with friends and said it was one of the most dog friendly places in Portland. Shimamoto treated the community there like family.
She also knows Shimamoto through hosting fundraisers at Barrio for Portland Animal Welfare Team, a nonprofit organization that helps pet owners who experience homelessness or financial hardship to access medical care for their pets.
“I’ve been going there for more than 10 years,” Erwert said. “He’s been part of my dog’s life and everyone in my circle has their dog birthday parties there.”
Donations to the GoFundMe for Barrio range from $5 to $200 and $5,000. The goal is $100,000 and the total raised after just a few days was more than $80,000.
One donor commented, “I donated AGAIN because every time I go past the Mercado and see the boarded windows it hurts my heart. Today I saw folks cleaning around the food trucks — good sign of hope. Hang in there — this neighborhood loves you!”
Fighting the fire
Calls to 911 for the Mercado fire started at about 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 3 and it became a two-alarm fire.
With a deep understanding of fire science, Lieutenant Steve Sparks has been fighting fires for 27 years with Portland Fire & Rescue. He is with the Hawthorne Station, one of the first crews to arrive at the fire.
“We take calculated risks,” Sparks said. “We are aggressive and find fires fast and don’t mess around outside. We’re always monitoring.”
The Lents, Foster-Powell, Sellwood and Hawthorne stations all worked together to put out the first fire. However, smoke hid the dining area of the Mercado, making it hard to see.
“Once we got there the first crew hit it really quickly with water, went into the building, and finished extinguishing it quickly,” Sparks said. “What took a while was chasing down the fire that was hidden. Smoke hid the assembly area. We were bumping into each other. The fire was extended into a void between the ceiling and roof, confined to the west end of the building.”
A second alarm was called in for this fire. Station 11 from SE 92nd and Reedway responded and worked their way through the smoke to find the source.
Ed Resch, a Portland Fire Lieutenant, went through training with Sparks 27 years ago. Resch helped train the crew that assisted with putting out the fire on the roof. This was their first fire after completing their practical final evaluation, obtaining the yellow helmets that signify they are fully trained firefighters.
“Because we run so many fires with (Station 7 from SE 122nd and Market) and our training is so intensive, the recruits assisting were seamless,” Resch said. “Because we work so well and so much goes into our training, we know what they are doing and they know what we are doing.”
After firefighters from Station 7 cut the initial hole in the roof for vertical ventilation, the newly trained crew assisted by cutting additional holes to help ventilation needs, which provided better visibility for interior crews on hose lines.
It was a very challenging roof, Resch said, containing different structures between an eight-inch flammable foam flat roof and a sloped metal roof. People got to work and cut it with precision so as not to damage the rafters keeping the roof from falling.
Firefighters were able to put out the roof fire quickly once the smoke cleared. Thermal imaging cameras assisted with visibility as well.
“There's always concern when you go into a building where you can’t see a foot in front of your face,” Sparks said. “Smoke conditions can change once you make entry into a building with low visibility. You're introducing air into the fire. If you don’t find the fire fast enough and put water on it, sometimes smoke conditions can change for the worse.”
With the food carts and multiple propane tanks nearby, a bigger disaster was avoided by the quick response. All in all, it took just over one hour to extinguish the fires. No lives were lost and no injuries occurred but the fire was a tragic event for a beloved gathering place.
“We recognize the cultural significance of this place,“ Resch said. “The firefighters understand the value of anything community based, especially represented by people from the community.”
Jorge Zepeda has been fighting fires with Portland Fire & Rescue for two and a half years. He moved here from Los Angeles, where there is a huge Latino community, and appreciates places like the Mercado. Although he wasn’t there, he heard the details of the Mercado fire and the fundraising efforts. He is optimistic and thankful for the support for the Latino community.
“The amount of people that go to the Mercado is significant,” Zepeda said. “It’s unfortunate that they have to restart and pick up the pieces. It’s awesome to hear they’re open in some capacity. When you get some people together it’s crazy to see what a community can do and it’s phenomenal to see that happen.”
About Hacienda CDC
Hacienda CDC is an affiliate of UnidosUS, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. In addition to helping Latino community members with housing, education and family services, Hacienda CDC helps with economic advancement and business advising.
Through Hacienda CDC, the Empresarios program offers guidance and resources for BIPOC, women and immigrant-owned food-related businesses, like the ones at the Mercado. This beloved gathering place opened in April 2015 and is inspired by Latino histories and cultures throughout the world, incorporating the tradition of a public market place.
Formed in 1992, Hacienda CDC originally served members of Portland’s Cully neighborhood, home to a fast-growing Latino community in Oregon. Hacienda CDC is now Oregon’s largest Latino-led, Latino-serving organization.
Follow updates about fundraising for the Mercado at portlandmercado.org/rebuild. Visiting the food carts is also a great way to show support.
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