CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Diane Dever started selling dairy products in her mother's stall at Cleveland's West Side Market about 40 years ago and can't remember the last time she had a free Saturday.

But she didn't want to take a weekend off this way. She said she expects a fire that caused heavy smoke damage to the historic market's main building early Wednesday morning will keep the doors closed this weekend, perhaps longer.

"It's very bad," she said. "You can see the smoke damage and the soot everywhere."

The fire began at 2:30 a.m. in the northwest corner of the Ohio City building. Fire investigators said damage from flames was contained to two of the market's 164 stalls -- the Foster's and Sebastian's meat counters.

Assistant Fire Chief Brent Collins said the fire appears to be accidental, but investigators are still working to determine the exact cause. The cost of the damage had not yet been determined.

A massive column inside the main building had cracked, but city engineers determined Wednesday that the building remains structurally sound.

Most of the market's 100 vendors weren't allowed inside the building Wednesday afternoon, but many said they expected their entire stock to be compromised because of exposure to heat and smoke.

The city, which owns and oversees the 100-year-old market, requires vendors to carry insurance. But merchants said they are not covered for the loss of sales. And business was expected to be busy over Super Bowl weekend, they said.

Where to find it at the market

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shows where your favorite stalls are in the smoke-damaged building. (Sebastian's is in the left-hand corner of the main building.)

"Right now it's closed until further notice," said Michael Cox, Cleveland's director of public works. "We're not letting anyone into the building."

Cox and other city officials spoke at an afternoon press conference at the market's loading dock just beneath the familiar 137-foot, yellow-brick clock tower at West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue.

They said the market's restaurant, the West Side Market Cafe, had not been damaged and was cleared to reopen today. They added that they hope to reopen the produce building, a separate structure that forms and "L" shape along the north and east sides of the main building, by Friday. That building was not touched by flames.

But there is a massive cleanup ahead. Karen Butler, the city's public health director, said inspectors were in the process of checking what food -- if any -- has been damaged. (Most vendors said they anticipate losing all of their stock).

"All the cakes in there, I'm sure we're going to throw them away," said Michel Kahwagi, a pastry chef who with the help of his wife and his sons, operates Cake Royale inside the market. "They told us the bags, forks, boxes -- everything will have to go."

Local grocery store owner Burt Saltzman said the fire could not have come at a worse time for vendors, who were adding inventory in anticipation of big sales for Super Bowl weekend.

"The Super Bowl is one thing, but also it's the first of the month," said Saltzman, chief executive officer of Dave's Supermarkets. "It's a double whammy.

"If this happened to me, I'd jump off a bridge."

Tom Dunderman, co-owner with his wife, Anita, of The Basketeria, a produce stand, said he buys roughly 20 percent more produce for Super Bowl weekend, which he described as "big, almost like a holiday weekend."

He usually places extra orders for avocados, green onions, carrots and celery. He could hold off picking up his order until early Friday if the produce building reopens that day as city officials expect.

"Fortunately, nobody was hurt," Dunderman said. "That goes above and beyond everything else. But it is hard business-wise since we are a small business."

That concern was echoed by Vince Bertonaschi, president of the United West Side Market Tenants Association, who walked through the main building Wednesday morning with city officials. Bertonaschi also runs Vince's Meats in the market.

"All the merchants are insured," he said. "But it's going to hurt.

"They're going to be out there on their own, with no benefits. There's no paid holidays with this job, no vacations. If your kids need glasses or braces, it's all paid for by you. I feel sorry for them."

With Michael Sangiacomo and Debbi Snook.