Four businesses lost in total in West Valley fire

WEST VALLEY CITY — Several West Valley City business owners are picking up the pieces after a serious fire broke out Thursday. Fire officials declared four businesses a total loss, another with significant water damage.

One firefighter injured, at least two businesses lost total in WVC mall fire

It happened around 6 p.m. at a shopping center near 4700 S and 4000 W. Thursday, firefighters initially said. two companies were impacted.

West Valley City Fire Chief John Evans estimates the damage to the mall itself to be nearly $2,000,000. “The roof fell on all four businesses,” he said. “There's not much left inside at the moment.”

Chief Evans said it took several hours and about 60 firefighters from across the valley to battle the fire. “Most of the fire was out. But… when the roof deck comes in, that's why we stayed here for a while, just pouring water on it, trying to put it out under the fire,” he said. declared.

Thursday's warm weather also played a role. “The problem is when it's like 90 degrees and (firefighters) are wearing that gear, you try to get them to rest every once in a while just for exhaustion and all that in that type of weather.”

One of the businesses lost is Peruvian restaurant Vickey's. The restaurant's owner, Victoria Palomino Leon, was almost in tears seeing her business destroyed.

“It’s like a dream,” she said in Spanish. Leon said she and her employees saw the smoke but couldn't tell where it was coming from. Once they saw the fire, everyone inside was able to evacuate safely.

“We thought we could salvage everything that was left inside, the firefighters brought us in, but everything was gone.”

Leon said his business has only been open about two years. “We grew little by little,” she said. » But now, she and her six other employees find themselves without work.

She said she would work to move forward and was grateful no one was seriously injured.

One firefighter suffered a shoulder injury, but Chief Evans said the firefighter was treated and released from the hospital.

“Luckily the firefighter is going to be OK,” Evans said. “The positive side is that none of the occupants of the businesses were injured. They were all out. This is the main thing for these occupants.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.