Nearly 75 displaced after fire at downtown Las Vegas apartments
A fire at an apartment complex near downtown Las Vegas displaced nearly 75 people Thursday night.
Firefighters were called to the Rancho Verde Apartments, 98 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., around 6:15 p.m. and found smoke around the roof and inside the walls of the two-story building, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said in a statement Thursday night.
Emergency responders from Clark County, North Las Vegas and Las Vegas fire departments climbed to the roof while others went to a first-floor apartment.
“They worked for nearly an hour to make sure the smoldering embers were completely out,” Szymanski said.
The utilities to all 16 units of the building were turned off until a cause could be determined, leaving nearly 75 people and eight pets displaced. The American Red Cross was finding everyone a home for the night.
Damage, estimated at $75,000, was contained to the first-floor apartment, and no injuries were reported. The blaze remained under investigation.
The fire comes less than a week after six people died and nearly 50 people were displaced from the Alpine Motel Apartments when a fire destroyed the building. Investigators believe the fire was accidental and caused by a stove used to heat the apartment.
Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.
