[UPDATE] Massive Fire At NJ Self-Storage Facility

Update: March 3, 2025

Salvatore Gellura, a South Jersey man, faces a third-degree arson charge for starting the fire. According to police, Gellura was working inside his unit at Burleigh Mini Storage and began burning cardboard inside a metal container to keep warm. The fire eventually became uncontrollable after spreading outside of the metal container.

Gellura is also charged with making false reports to law enforcement, a fourth-degree offense, police said. Gellura was arrested and brought to Cape May County jail. He remained at the facility Thursday, records show.

Original Story: February 19, 2025

A massive self-storage fire broke out this morning at Burleigh Storage, located at 663 Shunpike Road in Cape May County, New Jersey, at approximately 9:30am. More than a dozen firefighting units were called in from the cities of Court House, Stone Harbor, and Rio Grande.

South Jersey resident Zeke Orzech also captured video of the fire which he posted on X. At one point, the fire reaches a unit that apparently contained fireworks, as they can be seen and heard shooting out of the smoky blaze.

Margaret McAteer, who had been storing most of her family’s possessions at the facility while they waited for their new home to be completed, is concerned. “I’m praying the fire doesn’t spread to our unit,” she told reporters at the Cape May County Herald.

As of this reporting, the fire is under control, but officials have yet to release any details regarding the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage. However, additional drone footage shows little left except the charred skeleton of the facility.

Our thoughts are with the facility owner and all the tenants who may have lost their belongings.

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