The story of the night Leeds Kirkgate Market was devastated by fire

It was the December night Leeds experienced one of its biggest ever disasters, when fire all-but destroyed Kirkgate Market.

The cause of the blaze on Saturday, December 13, 1975, remains uncertain to this day - there were suggestions either of an electrical fault or an overturned paraffin lamp. Either way, the flames spread quickly through Europe’s largest covered market and some 150 stallholders fled for their lives. These photos from the YEP archive showcase the devastation and the aftermath of the blaze which could not kill the spirit of the market or its traders, many of whom were back on their feet within days. Determined not to be beaten, traders crammed into whatever space they could find in undamaged sections of the market, mainly on the Vicar Lane side. READ MORE: Walk around Kirkgate Market during the 1980s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook YEP RETRO NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our free monthly email digest of Leeds nostalgia

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