Short Hills Deli destroyed by fire

A landmark South Jersey deli was destroyed when a three-alarm fire swept through a Cherry Hill strip mall this afternoon.

The lunch rush was coming to an end at the popular Short Hills Restaurant and Delicatessen on Evesham Road when fire broke out at 2 p.m. near the rear of the building, authorities said.

The fire started in a fenced-in area at the rear of the the 200-seat restaurant and spread to an adjacent refrigeration unit, said Battalion Chief Michael Iannetta of the Cherry Hill Fire Department.

Although the 70 firefighters who responded were able to contain the blaze to the strip mall, the deli was a total loss.

"It was a very tough fire to fight, but our people were very, very aggressive," Iannetta said. "It would have been a very minor fire if not for the wind."

Iannetta said high winds fanned the fire and spread it into the roof of the two-story strip mall, which is across from Virtua Memorial Hospital. Flames dropped from the rafters, into the structure's attic, and spread into the walls of the offices above the delicatessen.

Nevertheless, patrons and workers at the restaurant escaped without any injuries.

The restaurant - known for its 10-page menu and Dagwood-sized corned beef sandwiches - opened in 1997. It is owned by Jerry Kaplan and his son, Michael. They were not available for comment today.

Short Hills was a favorite spot to meet and nosh in the township, said Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt.

"We hope they are able to reopen the restaurant very soon," Platt said. "I don't think it will be easy to rebuild. They will probably have to gut the place."

Neighboring businesses - the Wishing Well gift shop and a dry cleaner - sustained smoke and water damage, he said.

Investigators believe the fire was started by a cigarette tossed into the fenced-in area. The smoldering butt, fanned by the high winds, may have lit pieces of discarded cardboard, said a spokesman for the Fire Marshal's office said.

The fire forced several surrounding businesses to close as firefighters battled the blaze. They were expected to reopen Saturday morning, said Chris Dollarton, a Fire Department spokesman.