AUSTIN, Texas — Since 1990, Leticia has sold tools at the Austin Country Flea Market. She and her husband built the small business from the ground up. But all that hard work went up in flames on Sunday, Aug. 23. Everything she sold was destroyed.
Fire investigators say two people were injured. The blaze is still under investigation.
“So far, there was a fire in one of the booths, and then it spread to the unmowed grass and then possibly caught some leachate contaminants and combusted and continued to explode,” said Corbin Graham, the property owner.
Leticia’s daughter, Florencia Orozco, said since losing her dad in 2018, the booth has been her mom’s sole source of income and her continuous connection to his memory.
“I was actually taking care of my niece, my sister’s little daughter, and my sister knocks on my door crying that the flea market burned down,” said Orozco.
Orozco created a GoFundMe to help her family in the meantime.
“I kind of told my mom today, you know, just be strong, you know? I know we can do it. We can restart,” said Orozco.
Despite all the heartache and loss, both Orozco and her mom are trying to stay hopeful that they will land on their feet.
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