A 3-alarm fire at a strip mall in West Valley City resulted in the injury of a firefighter and the loss of at least two businesses. The fire broke out around 5:45 p.m. at El Pollo Royo on 4616 S. 4000 West, according to witnesses who spoke to KSL TV.
Omair Rehman, owner of the neighboring Lucky Mart, described seeing smoke and flames coming out of the ceiling tiles. He quickly gathered his belongings and fled the store, which he had opened in September. Rehman expressed sadness over the loss of the business, stating, “We were still struggling with the business and this happened today.”
West Valley City Fire Chief John Evans confirmed that everyone was able to safely evacuate the businesses. Two businesses were total losses, while 10 others were evacuated and impacted in some way. Firefighters arrived within four minutes of the call, but the fire was already well into the roof. Due to the danger of the collapsing roof, firefighters had to retreat from attacking the fire from above.
One firefighter was injured and taken to the hospital in good condition. The cause of the fire was still under investigation as crews continued to work on extinguishing
