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A West Jordan restaurant was destroyed early Thursday morning in a three-alarm blaze, which at one point posed a serious threat to firefighters inside the structure.
West Jordan Fire Battalion Chief Reed Scharman said crews rushed to the scene of the fire inside Jim's Family Restaurant just before midnight, and within a half an hour the blaze had triggered its third alarm.
In all, 75 firefighters from West Jordan, Midvale, South Jordan, Sandy, Murray and the Unified Fire Authority were dispatched.
The restaurant, 7609 S. Redwood Road, was destroyed, Scharman said. Damage was estimated at $1.4 million.
Although there were no injuries, a portion of the eatery's roof did fall on a group of six firefighters.
"It was a 'May Day' situation for us," Scharman said. "Fortunately, there were no treatable injuries and the six firefighters, with the help of four other firefighters who were also inside the structure at the time, were able to escape."
The blaze appears to have started in the restaurant's attic, but the cause remains under investigation.
Restaurant owner Chris Tzakis said investigators were trying to determine if it was faulty wiring in the northwest corner of the attic.
Jim's Family Restaurant in West Jordan employed about 35 people.
Tzakis said he was planning to transfer as many of his now out-of-work employees as he could to his two other Salt Lake Valley restaurants.
He has also
Tzakis is meeting with the restaurant's landlord and insurance representatives to determine how to salvage or rebuild the restaurant.
Tzakis said he hopes to reopen as "quickly as possible."
