Firefighters extinguish blaze at empty apartment building popular with squatters

A vacant building in the central valley that has been occupied by squatters at various time caught fire on Monday morning for at least the third time this year, the Las Vegas Fire Department said.

Firefighters responded to 240 W. Cincinnati Ave. about 12:40 a.m. after receiving several 9-1-1 calls that a vacant, boarded-up apartment building was on fire, spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

They encountered flames and heavy smoke pouring from the two-story building, but were able to extinguish the fire in less than 10 minutes, he said.

The building has burned several times before, including on Sept, 2. Significant damage to the second floor occurred at that fire, which was believed to be caused by a squatter living in the building, Szymanski said. The squatter fled the building but sustained minor burns in the process.

There were no injuries in connection with Monday’s fire. No damage estimate was given.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze was continuing.

Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.