A building fire broke out early Wednesday morning in Kearns, Utah, causing significant damage and forcing road closures. Fire crews worked through the early morning commute hours to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed a small strip mall called La Placita Market. The incident also resulted in an officer being hit by a car at the scene.
<p> 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>"My dad and mom have always wanted to own a store, and you know, establish their own thing," said Osvaldo Vaca Perez.</p><p>The family moved from Chicago to Utah to do it, and for those 21 years, their dream was a reality.</p><p>Vaca Perez said the store carried classic, traditional Latino products like "salsa, carne asada, everything, pollo."</p><p>He cannot remember a time without the store.</p><p>"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."</p><p>According to fire officials, the entire building was a total loss. The Unified Fire Authority said the
FIRE ROAD CLOSURES KEARNS UTAH BUILDING DAMAGE POLICE
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