Canton Shopping Center Suffers Another Fire
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CANTON (AP/CBSDFW.COM) — A fire heavily damaged a western-themed shopping center in North Texas, just two years after it was damaged by another blaze.
The Van Zandt County Fire Marshal's Office reported that flames early Saturday morning damaged about 90 percent of The Mountain complex in Canton, just over 60 miles east of Dallas. No one was injured in the blaze, and the cause of the fire had not been determined.
The Mountain sits on a 26-acre wooded area that features more than 100 western-themed antique and craft shops, an amphitheater and several restaurants. It is adjacent to the popular flea market held on the first weekend of each month, known as First Monday Trade Days.
Patricia Addison, marketing manager for The Mountain, disputed that the fire had destroyed nearly the entire Mountain complex, saying that it was closer to 30 percent that had been scorched. She said about 60 buildings were damaged, including a theater, several bed and breakfasts, as well as shops and restaurants.
A previous fire burned down part of the Old West town in November 2013. About 20 of its buildings were damaged in that incident, and police said about 25 people evacuated their homes.
"This is much worse," Addison said.
Still she said The Mountain plans to reopen on Oct. 29 and will attend to visitors throughout the Halloween weekend.
"As soon as we get the power turned back on," she said, "the burned area will be closed off, and everything will be up and running as quickly as possible."
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