Agencies lend hand to 92 people displaced by Las Vegas fire

When 92 people were displaced Tuesday after a fire at a transitional housing facility, other facilities stepped up to take care of them.

Crews from the Las Vegas and Clark County fire departments responded Tuesday afternoon to a fire at The New Hope Motel, 2805 Fremont St. It took a little over an hour to get the blaze under control, and the remodeled motel was damaged.

“This wasn’t just a house fire,” resident Robert Claffey, 42, said. “This was a whole motel building, and it was full.”

Claffey was one of 67 displaced residents who found refuge at CrossRoads of Southern Nevada, 2121 W. Charleston Blvd., a substance-use treatment center that opened in December.

“We’re very new, so we have the capacity, which I’m grateful for,” CrossRoads founder Jeff Iverson said.

Iverson said he didn’t hesitate to help when he learned that the residents needed a place to stay.

“Ninety-two beds is a big number for the community to lose overnight,” Iverson said.

Despite the move, residents are still receiving the treatment they need, New Hope director of case management Rob Driscoll said.

Staff at CrossRoads helped ensure that residents have their medication, and vans from New Hope are still picking up residents who take classes or go to 12-step meetings.

“I think actually what it’s going to do is help people,” Driscoll said. “That feeling of loneliness disappears when they see the community coming out to support them.”

Well Care Group, the health services company that runs New Hope, has secured more permanent housing for the residents, who will move out of CrossRoads over the weekend.

Desert Parkway Behavioral Center, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and the American Red Cross donated toiletries and other essentials to the displaced residents.

On Thursday, staff from Desert West Surgery dropped off shoes, clothing, bedding, towels and other items at CrossRoads.

Practice manager Victoria Hastings said employees were approached by one of the residents, who asked for help.

“He said, ‘I’m not asking for money, but here’s the situation,’ ” Hastings said. “So we spread the word.”

She said doctors and staff cleaned out their closets and brought what they could spare into the office. In about 24 hours, the surgery center had collected enough donations to fill three cars.

“We see just unfortunately so much poverty and homelessness in this area,” she said. “And these are people who are doing everything they can to help themselves.”

Claffey said many residents lost their wallets and IDs in the fire, but Well Care will transport them to the Department of Motor Vehicles on Friday to replace any lost IDs.

CrossRoads is accepting donations of toiletries, shoes, clothing and other sundry items for the displaced residents. Donations can be dropped off at the facility’s front office.

Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0365. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.