The smell of smoke still lingers in the minds of the vendors who pulled up to the Webb Road Flea Market on that cold December morning. It was supposed to be the busiest weekend of the year. Prime holiday shopping time. Instead of unfolding tables and hanging up vintage clothes, they found a wall of fire trucks.
The Webb Road Flea Market fire on December 15, 2024, wasn't just a local news blip. It was a massive blow to the community.
Building B is basically a memory now. For 20 vendors, everything they owned—inventory, shelving, months of investment—went up in a black plume of smoke. Honestly, it’s heartbreaking. You’ve got people who live and breathe this market, relying on those final weekends before Christmas to pay their bills, and then, in the span of a few hours, it's just gone.
The Chaos at 3:45 AM
The first call hit the dispatchers around 3:40 a.m. By 3:45, Rowan County was in a full-scale scramble. When the first crews arrived, Building B was already fully engulfed.
It wasn't a small fire.
More than a dozen tankers had to get into a rotation just to keep up with the water demand. Because there aren't many hydrants right there on that stretch of road, they were actually filling up at a hydrant across the I-85 highway bridge and racing back. It was a logistical nightmare for the Bostian Heights Fire Department and the other agencies that showed up to help.
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The roof of Building B collapsed while crews were still fighting it. By 6:40 a.m., they finally had it under control, but the damage was done. The building was a total loss.
Why Did it Burn So Fast?
There’s a lot of talk about building codes and what happened back when the market was rebuilt after a previous "total loss" fire in 2010.
Here’s the thing: Building B didn’t have a sprinkler system.
Reports following the 2024 fire suggest that during the 2010 rebuild, certain building codes were allegedly waived or bypassed through local political influence in Raleigh. Without those sprinklers, the tin and wood structure acted like a giant tinderbox. Once a fire starts in an environment like that, especially with a heater malfunction (which is currently the leading suspected cause), it moves faster than anyone can react to.
Not the First Time Around
If you’ve lived in Salisbury or Rowan County for a while, you know the Webb Road Flea Market fire felt like a bad case of déjà vu.
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- September 2010: A massive inferno burned the entire market to near rubble. It took over a year to reopen.
- December 2024: Building B is destroyed, leaving the other buildings—thankfully—intact.
There was some confusion online about a 2013 fire, but the owners clarified that was actually a glitch in a news station’s content management system that changed the date on an old 2010 article. Regardless of the dates, the pattern is what worries people.
The Fallout for Local Vendors
The 20 vendors inside Building B lost everything. We aren't talking about big corporations here; these are independent sellers. Some sell classic records and instruments, others sell handmade crafts or vintage finds.
One vendor, known as Phoenix Rising, was there early that morning just watching the glow. It was insane. The whole area was lit up. For these people, insurance is notoriously hard to get for a flea market booth. When the building goes, the business usually goes with it.
General Manager Chris Stephens and the owner, Catherine Popp, didn't waste time. They had the market back open for the remaining buildings the following weekend. They even carved out spaces to accommodate the displaced vendors from Building B so they could try to salvage what was left of the holiday season.
What the Future Looks Like in 2026
The market is currently open every weekend from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you go there today, you'll still see the gap where Building B once stood.
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Management has stated they plan to rebuild once the county approves the new plans. However, the waiting list for indoor space is currently frozen. They are prioritizing the vendors who were burned out before they even think about letting anyone new in.
If you're planning a visit or thinking about selling, here is the current reality on the ground:
- Indoor Space: Extremely limited. Do not expect to walk in and get a booth inside right now.
- Outdoor/Daily Spaces: Still 250+ spaces available. This is your best bet if you're a new seller.
- Safety Upgrades: Expect much stricter inspections. The "waived codes" of the past likely won't fly with the county this time around.
Moving Forward: Actionable Steps for Vendors and Shoppers
If you are a vendor in the Rowan County area, the Webb Road Flea Market fire served as a massive wake-up call.
First, look into "inland marine insurance." It sounds weird, but it's often the type of coverage that can actually protect mobile or temporary inventory like flea market stock. Most standard homeowners' policies won't touch your business goods if they're stored off-site.
Second, if you're a shopper, the best thing you can do is actually show up. The vendors who are still there are the ones keeping the 40-year history of this place alive. They need the foot traffic now more than ever to help fund the recovery of the entire site.
Check the official market website before heading out, as they post updates regarding construction and booth availability. The site is located at 905 Webb Road, just off I-85. It’s still one of the largest one-stop shopping destinations in the Carolinas, even with one less building.
To stay protected as a vendor, verify that any space you rent has updated fire suppression or at least a clear, documented inspection record from the county fire marshal. Taking a "wait and see" approach with fire safety is no longer an option for anyone involved with the market.