Located at 1442 Cary Ave., the establishment caught fire around 2 a.m. July 21. The blaze originated in a refrigerator, although a more detailed investigation is still ongoing.
“We’re still not sure if it was electrical or caused by something else,” Fire Marshal Robert Marshall said.
But between smoke damage and fire department directives to turn off electricity in nearby stores, several businesses were told to close down indefinitely.
“When the building is damaged from fire and firefighting, there are a bunch of things that have to be checked before you turn it back on. There was some old electrical wiring … but they were issues that were able to be addressed,” Marshall said.
Harry’s Deli just reopened Monday, Aug. 5, after being closed for two weeks.
“What could we do? We had to shut it all down,” deli owner Shanti Lachman said, adding the neighboring business told her about it later that morning.
Maria’s Restaurant, about three stores down from where the fire originated, has been open for a little over a week, although they had to pay out-of-pocket, not for smoke or electrical damage, but from having the establishment’s back doors broken down by the fire department, said Kevin, who helps run the family business.
He added that the owner of America’s House, located right next to Fiesta Market, happened to be in the building when he noticed the fire and called the department.
“If it weren’t for him, the whole building would be burnt down,” he said. “He was the one that noticed it, he’s the one that went outside, and he called the police.”
Shore-Vu Laundromat, America’s House and Fiesta Market remain red-tagged and closed, largely due to smoke damage.
