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KEARNS — After a building across the street from Kearns High School caught fire Wednesday, crews worked into the early morning commute hours to extinguish it, forcing road closures and a large response from crews. Hours into the effort, an officer was hit by a car at the scene, police said.
The building was a small strip mall called La Placita Market on the corner of 5400 South and Northwest Avenue. The family who owns it said they have been proudly running the store for the past 21 years.
"My dad and mom have always wanted to own a store, and you know, establish their own thing," said Osvaldo Vaca Perez.
The family moved from Chicago to Utah to do it, and for those 21 years, their dream was a reality.
Vaca Perez said the store carried classic, traditional Latino products like "salsa, carne asada, everything, pollo."
He cannot remember a time without the store.
"I was in diapers walking around while my dad was working on the store," he said. "I've seen customers come in, and summer vacations were spent here just putting in hours of work just to create what we have."
According to fire officials, the entire building was a total loss. The Unified Fire Authority said the flames broke out sometime around 3 a.m. While crews worked, the road was closed along 5400 South from 4500 West to 4800 West for hours afterward.
Fire officials said the fire was fought defensively because it was too unsafe to fight it from within. The early temperatures were problematic for crews as well, because the water used in their efforts created ice on sidewalks and pavement nearby.
As the morning commute ramped up, an officer directing traffic was hit by a car at approximately 8 a.m. and taken to the hospital in "fair condition," according to Sgt. Aimee Race with the Unified Police Department.
The driver stayed on scene and was cooperating with police, she said.
Fire crews said thankfully nobody was hurt inside the burning building.
As for Vaca Perez and his family, their hearts were hurting.
"My mom put in hours of dedication to make sure each and every single one of those products was to the desires of the customers," he said. "A lot of people depending on this place for food."
Vaca Perez's father and owner of the store, Omar Vaca, was speechless at the tragedy.
"It feels like a parent passed away or something," Vaca Perez said, as the two of them watched crews at the scene. "It just feels like another part of our family just got yanked away."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
