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n the second day after their kiosks were destroyed by fire, vendors at the Parangtambung market in Makassar, South Sulawesi, are anxiously awaiting a decision from the municipality on the construction of temporary stalls.

'€œThe kiosks were our livelihood. We don'€™t know what to do. We have not yet met the mayor and don'€™t know what his policy will be,'€ said vendor Lukman Amir, 44, whose kiosk was located on the canal.

Lukman and the other vendors expressed their hope that the administration would immediately construct temporary stalls so they could start their businesses again.

The blaze on Tuesday evening destroyed 20 kiosks in the market'€™s main building, 62 stalls on the nearby canal and dozens of homes in a neighboring up-scale housing estate.

Residents and volunteers, including soldiers from the Indonesian Military, were on Thursday still cleaning up debris from the fire.

Makassar Mayor Mohammad Ramdhan Pomanto said his office would provide makeshift kiosks for the traders, but he did not set a schedule.

'€œWe are still discussing the issue,'€ he said on Thursday.

However, he added, kiosks located on the canal would not be rebuilt because they were against regulations. '€œKiosks, or any other structure, must no longer be built on the canal,'€ he emphasized.

In response to the fire, the municipality plans to renovate the main market building. Built in 1986, the market was previously razed by fire in 2010. Ramdhan said the central government had allocated funds for the renovation project, but that it was still in the planning stage.

The main building of the market was made of brick, while the kiosks located on the canal were built from wood, plywood and zinc.

The temporary kiosks were not only places of trade; they were also the living quarters of the vendors and their families, and had been renovated into two-story structures.

Local neighborhood chief Sustoni Rahmat said the kiosks on the canal were built in the 1990s and were mostly occupied by newcomers.

He claimed that the kiosks were built with permission from the market head.

'€œInitially, the kiosks were erected to sell used clothing. But gradually, the kiosks changed hands and the merchandise also changed. Some of them sell basic needs, animal feed and even gasoline and gas,'€ said Sustoni.

Lukman confirmed the changing face of the kiosks. The native of Soppeng in South Sulawesi said he bought two kiosks from another vendor for Rp 10 million (US$830) six years ago and lived in them with his family.

'€œI believe the kiosks are legal. We pay a daily fee of Rp 3,000 and a monthly fee of Rp 25,000 for each kiosk,'€ he said.