Cherry Hill Strip Mall Destroyed In Massive Fire

Cleve Bryan has the story.

IT IS UNCLEAR WHY THE DRIVERLOST CONN ROLE.FIRE FIGHTERS BATTLED AMASSIVE BLAZE, THAT ENGULFED ACHERRY HILL STRIP MALL TODAY.INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKINGINTO EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THEINTENSE FIRE."EYEWITNESS NEWS" REPORTERCLEVE BRYAN'S LIVE IN CHERRYHILL WITH A LOOK AT THEAFTERMATH FOR US, CLEVE.REPORTER: SUCH AN EXTENSIVEDAMAGE TO THIS ONE BUILDINGHERE AT THE SHORT HILLS ATTOWN CENTER.THEY ARE PUTTING UP PROTECTIVEFENCES BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE TOGO CLOSE TO THE BUILDING, PARTOF THE WALLS HAVE FALLEN DOWNAND ENTIRE ROOF COLLAPSED.IN OFFICIAL WORD ON THE CAUSEOF THE FIRE AT THIS POINT BUTWITNESSES TELL US THAT THESECTION OF THE STRIP MALL WASSHUT DOWN, OVERNIGHT, BECAUSEOF WORK BEING DONE AND ALL OFTHE BUSINESSES WERE CLOSED ATTHE TIME OF THE FIRE STARTEDAROUND 10:45 THIS MORNING.DRAMATIC VIDEO WE HAVEOBTAINED WHEN THE FIRE FIRSTBURSTS THROUGH THE ROOF, ANDTHEN IT WAS SEVERAL MINUTESBEFORE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED.MARK JOSEPH JONES PROVIDED THEVIDEO TELLS US THAT HE WASWORKING ON A CLEAN UP CREWTHATS WAS DOING WORK RELATEDTO UNDERGROUND POWER LINESNEAR THE STRIP MALL.SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRE STARTEDTOWARDS MIDDLE OF THE BUILDINGIT TOOK OFF IN BOTHDIRECTIONS, AND THE ROOF SOONCOLLAPSED.AGAIN WE'RE TOLD IN ONE WASINSIDE AND IN ONE WAS INJURED,BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WASGOING ON.IT TOOK TWO ALARMS AND MORETHAN AN HER TO GET THE FIREUNDER CONTROL, AND WE SPOKE TOTHE OWNER ON HAVE A NEARBY DAYCARE CENTER LESS THAN AFOOTBALL FIELD AWAY FROM THEFIRE.THE KIDS ACTUALLY SAW ITFIRST.THEY ARE LIKE IT IS A FIRE.IT WAS PRETTY QUICK.I WENT UP PRETTY QUICKLY.THE BUILDING DID.IT WAS OVERWHELMING.REPORTER: YOU HAD A FRONTROW SEAT HERE.YES, MY THREE KIDS WHO ARETHE OLDEST AND MOST AWARE THEYHAD THE FRONT SEAT.SO, WE COULD FEEL THE HEATUNSIDE OF THE VERY FRONTWINDOW AS WE IMMEDIATELY PUTEVERYONE IN THE BACK, GATHEREDLUNCH, EMERGENCY CONTACTSTUFF, EVERYBODY COATS, WEWERE ALL PREPARED IF WE NEEDEDTO.REPORTER: AGAIN IN REPORTEDINJURIES, RELATE TODD THISVERY LARGE FIRE THAT TOOKPLACE THIS MORNING.THE FIRE MARSHALL IS STILLINVESTIGATING THE OFFICIALCAUSE.WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE ON THEIMPACT OF FIRE COMING UPLATER AT 5:00.