Fire damages, closes popular Cherry Hill deli

A two-alarm fire severely damaged the Short Hills Restaurant & Deli in Cherry Hill early Tuesday, fire officials said.

The Cherry Hill Fire Department received the fire notification at 2:34 a.m., said Assistant Fire Chief Chris Callan.

Firefighters arrived at the scene on East Evesham Road about four minutes later, and had the fire under control by close to 3:30 a.m., he said. There were no injuries, Callan said.

By Tuesday afternoon, the property was surrounded by caution tape and a dumpster sat outside the closed deli. AllRisk Property Damage Experts trucks lined up in the parking lot as employees assessed the damage. Windows on the second floor of the two-story building were smashed, and shattered glass was scattered on the ground.

Firefighters fought a "heavy" fire that investigators believe started on the exterior of the building and worked its way inside, Callan said.

Part of the building's roof burned and collapsed, and the deli sustained water and smoke damage as well, he said.

The Lawnside and Mount Laurel Fire Departments assisted in fighting the blaze.

Firefighters remained on the scene until about 8 a.m. to assist the fire marshal in the investigation. The investigation was ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon, but preliminarily, the fire did not appear to be suspicious, Callan added.

According to a post on the deli's Facebook page, the establishment "sustained serious damage," but the owners will work toward rebuilding it.

"We value our employees, the community, and the relationships we have built for 20 years with our wonderful customers," the post said. "We will miss all of you so much during the time the deli will of course be closed."

In addition to the deli, the surrounding connected businesses in the shopping center - Short Hills Cleaners and Love on a Hanger boutique - sustained smoke and water damage and were also closed, Callan said.

Love on a Hanger posted on its Facebook page Tuesday afternoon that the boutique was "involved and damaged" in the fire that began at the deli.

"I will let you know when we reopen, hopefully by the end of summer," the post said.

This is the second fire at the location in eight years, Callan said. The South Jersey deli was destroyed in 2008 by a three-alarm fire at the same location.

Investigators believed that fire started from a smoldering cigarette butt tossed near the area.

eserpico@philly.com; 856-779-3912