'Violent' fire destroys Enfants Rouges food market in Paris, officials say

LONDON -- A "violent" fire ripped through the Enfants Rouges market in Paris early on Monday, engulfing the 17th-century building and destroying it, officials said.

The market of the Red Children in the city's 3rd arrondissement was the oldest covered food market in the city. The Paris Fire Brigade fought the fire, but the building was "alas ravaged by flames early this morning," Ariel Weil, the mayor of central Paris, said on Monday.

"Fire brought under control but market totally devastated," he added. "Avoid the area around Rue de Bretagne."

Firefighters began battling the "violent" blaze at about 4:15 a.m., an hour or so after the fire started, fire officials said.

"Despite the rapid intervention of emergency services, the fire completely engulfed the 1,000 [square meters] occupied by the covered market," the brigade said. "Nine hoses, including 2 high-powered ones, were required to bring the disaster under control."

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The market was established in 1615, according to Le Monde, which reported that the name came from the red outfits worn by orphans housed at a nearby hospital, which closed in 1772. The market was listed as a historical monument in 1982.

A piece of the French capital's history went "up in smoke" in the fire, said Emmanuel Grégoire, the city's mayor.

"We will find temporary locations for the businesses so that all their activities can be maintained," he said. "An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire."

ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.