Business owners at a West Valley City strip mall are facing an uncertain future after a devastating 3-alarm fire on Thursday resulted in multiple stores being declared a total loss. Victoria Leo, the owner of Vicky’s Peruvian restaurant, had planned to spend her Friday preparing her famous Peruvian dishes for customers. However, she and her small team were instead left outside under a canopy, anxiously awaiting answers in the aftermath of the fire.
Leo expressed her frustration at the situation, lamenting the hard work and sacrifice that went into starting her restaurant in December of 2021, only to have it disrupted by the fire. Ricardo, an employee at the restaurant, recounted the chaos of evacuating the building and leaving behind personal belongings like IDs, passports, and cell phones as they fled to safety.
The devastating extent of the damage caused by the fire is evident, with four businesses being declared total losses due to a collapsed roof and heavy water damage in another. Leo reflected on the impact on her, her family, and her employees, expressing sadness at the sudden loss of their livelihoods. Firefighters worked tirelessly through the night to contain the blaze and ensure the safety of everyone involved, with one firefighter sustaining a shoulder injury in the process.
As investigators work to determine the cause of the fire, the estimated damage is expected to be around $2 million. Leo bravely vowed to continue fighting for her business, despite the devastating loss of years of hard work and memories that were lost in the fire. The uncertainty of when they will be able to reopen weighs heavily on Leo and her team, but they remain hopeful and determined to rebuild and persevere in the face of adversity.