1 injured after popular Pennsauken, New Jersey restaurant goes up in flames

PENNSAUKEN, NJ (WPVI) — A popular restaurant in Pennsauken, New Jersey was damaged in a fire on Christmas morning.

Crews were called to the Hing Far Chinese restaurant on Maple Avenue at around 10:45 am

The action cam was there when smoke billowed from the store.

As they worked to bring the fire under control, crews found a man in an illegal dwelling unit of the building. He was taken to a burn center with serious injuries.

“Our typical Christmas routine is to get Chinese food,” said Denise Silver of Cherry Hill. “The phone just rang and gave a busy signal. We said, ‘Let’s just get in the car because we live right here, and (we) came by and saw these big orange signs.’

Throughout the day, people stopped by the popular take-out restaurant, one of the few places open on Christmas Day.

Denise Silver says she is devastated by what happened.

“Hing Far is our local Chinese restaurant that we love. We’ve been coming here for probably 20 years. I hope they rebuild,” Silver said.

The fire caused significant damage to the interior and rear of the restaurant.

Action News spoke briefly to the owner, who says she doesn’t know when it will reopen.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.