Fire Destroys Family-Owned Store In South Jersey

ELMER, NJ — A powerful fire destroyed a family-owned candle shop early Saturday in Salem County.

It took seven hours for firefighters from three counties to extinguish the roaring blaze at A Cheerful Giver in Elmer. Photos from sjfirenews.com show intense flames gutting the small shop.

The Elmer Fire Department rushed to the scene just before 12:30 a.m., finding heavy smoke and flames pushing through the roof. Fueled by heavy winds, the fire escalated to four alarms as crews flocked from Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland counties.

Initially, some firefighters tried to battle the blaze from inside the building. But extreme winds caused the fire to intensify rapidly, forcing crews to evacuate.

The third and fourth alarms brought in additional manpower, including water tankers to take some strain off Elmer's water system.

Once the fire was contained, Elmer firefighters extinguished hot spots for another six hours.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation as of Monday afternoon.

The Elmer Fire Department remained at the scene for nine hours thereafter to extinguish remaining hot spots and assist with the investigation.

There's been no word on what caused the fire and no reports of injuries.

The incident prompted the Elmer Fire Department to urge locals to join their ranks as the unit operates with a "skeleton crew."

"The Elmer Fire Department is 100% Volunteer and this large incident was managed by only FIVE active firefighters and TWO support firefighters/members," the department wrote on Facebook. "This type of incident requires at least 25 (personnel) to fill the basic roles to operate a scene this large or smaller in the borough not including our surrounding fire departments for mutual aid."

Recruiting younger members has been especially difficult — all Elmer firefighters are 35 or older, the department says.

A Cheerful Giver has long been a prominent store in the small, rural borough of Elmer. Founded in 1991, the business sells candles, jewelry and home decor.

The store is listed on Google as temporarily closed, and it's unclear what may come next for the small family business.

Patch contacted A Cheerful Giver and will update with any response.