Safety concerns grow after Tia Pancha II flea market is hit by 2 fires in 6 months

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Vendors and the owners of the Tia Pancha II flea market on Airline Drive have had to endure two fires in six months.

On Monday, investigators told ABC13 that the first fire in August was determined to be accidental. Now, fire investigators are working to determine what caused the fire on Friday morning.

Representatives at the fire marshals tell ABC13 that evidence found at the scene Friday determined multiple people were living at the facility, which is not allowed.

Investigators revealed the cause of the fire in August was an accidental electrical malfunction with circuit breakers.

On Friday, after the latest fire, some flea market vendors said they believed it was intentional. The owner would not comment about the situation and asked us to leave the property.

At this time, representatives with the fire marshals' office say there's no evidence that Friday's fire was arson and have ruled it out as a cause.

They tell ABC13 they cannot rule out electrical failure, saying they're looking into all sorts of things, like potential issues with cooking appliances, heating equipment, or poor wiring.

Fire inspectors are also looking into the flea market to determine if they are up to code.

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