Market fire in south London believed to be caused by faulty fridge

Eight people were evacuated from properties, and a range of stalls in the 800-year-old square were completely destroyed by the fire.London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said that the suspected faulty appliance "requires further verification" by an electrical testing firm.The service has not said where the fridge was located before the fire broke out.The blaze has already been declared as “accidental” by the LFB and a Metropolitan Police investigation found no suspicious circumstances.The fire ripped through Kingston Market in the early hours of Tuesday morningToni & Guy KingstonHe said: “We were woken up by the heat and the sound of the fire. We could just see an orange glow around the curtains”.On Thursday, Kingston Council said that work is under way to make the damaged buildings safe, and that clean-up efforts will begin once the site is declared safe.According to their website, the council is working with market operator Between the Bridges to “look at all options to support traders impacted by the fire, as well as continuing to support all traders and businesses in the area".The local branches of Lush, Greggs, Hotter and a bureau de change are among the shops that have been impacted by the fireSome stalls and shops on the square that escaped damage have already resumed trading.The aftermath of the blazeToni & Guy KingstonLeader of the council, Andreas Kirsch said: "We're working as hard as we can to get the site safe and secure, and to support traders to get back to work as soon as possible."Our priority now is to continue to support those affected and help ensure our much-loved market recovers as soon as possible."Read MoreIn January, Between the Bridges submitted plans to Kingston Council for a major revamp of the market, including replacement stalls, a central piazza, restaurant, bar and roof terrace.A decision on the proposals is yet to be made.