WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, June 6, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Firefighters had their hands full Thursday night wrangling a strip mall fire in West Valley City.
At least five departments were still on scene at 9 p.m. at the fire that began in a restaurant at 4616 S 4000 W, according to emergency dispatchers.
One firefighter suffered a shoulder injury battling the blaze. They were taken to the hospital where they were treated and released.
“Pretty much everybody in the valley is there,” said a Unified Fire Authority dispatcher.
The fire broke out just before 6 p.m. and was upgraded to a two-alarm conflagration by 7 p.m., with two ladder trucks already visible on scene pouring water on the flames from some 50 feet above.
By 9 p.m. dispatch said it was a 4-alarm fire, meaning three calls for reinforcements had gone out.
In addition to the West Valley City Fire Department and Unified Fire Authority, the Salt Lake City, West Jordan and South Jordan departments are assisting.
By 11 p.m. West Valley Fire Chief John Evans said the fire was finally brought under control by 10 p.m, but crews would remain on scene through Friday mopping up. “We’ll be here all night.”
Three businesses in the strip mall were damaged, with two totally destroyed, he said, with total loss likely in the $1.5 million range. The only injury reported was to a firefighter, treated for a shoulder injury at a hospital and released.
The whole strip mall, ten businesses, was shut down during the drama. Investigators would arrive in the morning to determine a cause. “It’s too dark and unsafe right now,” Evans said, with the roofs of the three businesses collapsed or about to.
A total of five ladder trucks were deployed at the same time at one point to rain water down from above, he said. “They were surrounding the building,” Evans said.
Three were still on scene, and two would remain overnight.
In addition to the aforementioned five fire departments, crews from South Salt Lake and Murray also responded, Evans said, with as many as 70 firefighters involved in total.
Photo courtesy S.S. for Gephardt Daily
