2 families displaced after townhouse fire on Sunday

Two families were displaced from their townhouses Sunday after firefighters shut off electricity to their homes to deal with a fire.

Firefighters responded to the report of a fire at 542 Oakbrook Lane, near East Twain Road and Swenson Road, shortly after 2:30 p.m.

The source of the fire was an electrical short in a townhouse laundry room. The short caused a slow-burning fire in the wooden framework of the building that had possibly been burning for hours, according to the Clark County Fire Department.

Firefighters had the fire under control at 2:51 p.m. after shutting off the electricity in two townhouses and using thermal-imaging cameras to find the source of the fire. Firefighters also had to open the walls and roofing to access the fire, the fire department said.

Nobody was injured. The American Red Cross assisted five displaced adults.

The fire cost about $4,000 in damage.

Contact reporter Maria Agreda at magreda@reviewjournal.com and (702) 383-0391.