Cause of Jim’s Steaks fire due to electrical wiring, says Fire Marshal’s Office

The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office said Monday electrical wiring is to blame for a two-alarm fire at Jim’s South Street Steaks last week that took more than four hours to get under control.

That official determination came after the owner of the longtime cheesesteak shop spent the weekend assessing damage — which was less severe than initially feared — starting a fund-raiser to help the staff, and vowing to reopen.

The building has now been returned to Jim’s owner Ken Silver, according to Philadelphia Fire Department.

More than 125 first responders were called Friday morning to the century-old building — last renovated five years ago — as heavy black smoke permeated the area surrounding Fourth and South Streets.

» READ MORE: What we know about the Jim’s Steaks fire

Firefighters arrived at the scene around 9:15 a.m. Friday and were met with smoke. Silver and Jim’s assistant store manager Christina Lawlor, said the air-conditioning had been malfunctioning the morning of the fire.

“We look up and we seen smoke like from where the walk-in is, we see smoke pouring down,” said Lawlor Friday.

The employees who were opening the shop safely evacuated the building while Lawlor shut down the main breaker box and called the fire department, which arrived in minutes.

Though the Art Deco interior underwent extensive smoke and water damage, city inspectors found the building to be structurally sound and much of the timeless memorabilia in the building, such as photographs, survived the fire.

Silver pledged to rebuild as soon as the fire was contained, and said the storefront could be back in business by Memorial Day 2023. A temporary storefront could be set up in the interim. Until the shop reopens, Silver’s working to make his 33 staffers whole through a GoFundMe.

Jim’s next-door neighbor Eye’s Gallery, a Latin American-themed boutique sustained smoke and water damage that could leave the space closed for up to a year. The business is similarly running a GoFundMe to help the staff and pay for repairs.

Jim’s has been on South Street since 1976 and Eye’s Gallery has been on the block for more than 50 years.

Staff writer Michael Klein and staff photographer Alejandro A. Alvarez contributed to this article.