Part of NJ mall remains closed days after food court fire. Here's what has reopened

Days after a fire closed a South Jersey mall entering the weekend, some stores have reopened while others remained closed during cleanup.

Voorhees Town Center mall businesses with outside access able to reopen

Officials with the Vorhees Town Center took to Facebook on Tuesday to announce that Boscov's, Modax, Town Hall, CNNH and Growing Smiles were given the go-ahead by the fire marshal to reopen since they have outside entrances and access.

Boscov's had already reopened with regular business hours on Sunday, according to the mall's social media.

Search for answers after fire damages NJ mall

Firefighters could be seen working on the roof of the Voorhees Town Center as light smoke rose around 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2024.

Voorhees firefighters first arrived to the mall around 5:30 p.m. to find heavy smoke, the Voorhees Fire Department said on its Facebook page.

"All were evacuated and no injuries are reported at this time," the fire department wrote Friday night.

Camden County IAFF Local 3249 -- the local fire union -- said the blaze began in the food court. The mall later confirmed that the food court took most of the damage.

"We are grateful to the Voorhees Fire Department for their quick response in helping to successfully evacuate the mall and contain the damage to the food court," the mall wrote.

Interior mall shops remain closed as cleanup continues

"Although cleaning has begun, soot still remains throughout the mall, therefore we are unable to reopen at this time," the mall wrote on social media Sunday.

The total damage to the mall at 2120 Voorhees Town Center was still being determined midweek.

"While we work to determine the source of the fire and assess the full extent of its impact, Voorhees Town Center's interior spaces will remain closed to the public," the mall wrote on social media Tuesday, April 23, 2024. "A security escort is required for any tenants who must access their space during this time to ensure their health and safety."

The fire marshal continued to investigate the blaze, Camden County officials said.

The mall promised to keep updates coming for tenants and shoppers about the reopening timeline.

"We plan to reopen the mall's interior spaces when repairs are complete, services have been restored, and a thorough cleaning has taken place," the mall wrote on Facebook.

Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.