There was a fire at Palermo's of Hamilton restaurant on Klockner Road late last night (Tuesday, June 16th), according to Mid Jersey News.

The article states the fire was reported shortly before midnight. When the Hamilton Township Fire Company arrived on the scene they found, "an exterior fire extending into the buildings walls." Realizing back up was needed, other nearby fire companies were called in. Thankfully, the fire was extinguished quickly, but firefighters stayed on scene for several hours to make sure the building was safe. Click here to see pictures from the scene.

How the fire started or the extent of the damage to the building was not immediately known. I didn't realize that there was an apartment above the restaurant. Two adults and a child have been left homeless because of the blaze. The Red Cross was called to help them find temporary shelter.

I've been going to Palermo's of Hamilton for years. The food is always great. We often met friends for dinner and drinks, and to hear some live music on the weekends. What a shame. At the time when the restaurant business is suffering greatly because of the coronavirus, this is such sad news. I haven't been there recently, but, I checked Palermo's Facebook page, and it seems as if they were still open for pickup or delivery. No word on how this will effect the restaurant's business. I'll keep you posted.

Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire at this time.

Palermo's of Hamilton is located at 310 Klockner Road in Hamilton Township.

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