Town Square strip mall fire destroys two businesses

Two businesses were destroyed and five others damaged when a fire tore through a strip mall at the intersection of Pecos Road and Washington Avenue early Friday morning, authorities said.

City of Las Vegas firefighters were called to the area about 2:30 a.m. because a flower shop in the Town Square strip mall was on fire.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames blowing out of the windows of Danaly's Flower Shop. The fire spread to a cellular phone store next door. A third alarm was called and it took firefighters 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. No one was injured.

There was a report of an explosion early on during the fire. Investigators believe there was a helium tank in the flower shop.

The strip mall contains 18 businesses. The flower shop and cell phone store were destroyed. Three others had moderate smoke and heat damage and two had minor smoke damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage is estimated at $500,000.