The man who died from a fire that ripped through a Cheltenham shopping center last week, owned the store where the blaze began, investigators said Monday.
The two-alarm fire broke out in Extensions, a beauty supply store, in the Melrose Shopping Center on E. Cheltenham Avenue Thursday night around 11. It quickly traveled to nearby stores.
Fire officials told NBC10 that the store owner called 911 to report the fire around 11 p.m. When rescue crews arrived at the scene, they were able to pull the man, identified as Seung-Yup Han of Newtown Square, Pa, from the flames.
Han was transported to Einstein Medical Center where he died from smoke inhalation, according to the Cheltenham Fire Marshal's Office.
A police officer suffered lacerations and was treated at the scene. Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries battling the blaze.
The fire continued to burn into the early morning Friday. It was placed under control around 5:40 a.m.
Extensions and the stores to its left and right suffered major damages, according the Fire Marshal.
Up to a dozen other stores in the complex suffered various damage and many remained without electricity Monday.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation Monday.
