Man charged with arson in apartment building fire
Fire officials say a man, after arguing with his wife, set fire to some furniture outside their apartment early Saturday, causing a blaze that led to the evacuation of the apartment complex and injured a girl.
Richard Arlen Jones, 53, was picked up by police in connection with the Cedar Village Apartments blaze and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of first-degree arson. His bond was set at $20,000.
Clark County fire officials said the two-story apartment building in the 2800 block of Cedar Avenue, in the vicinity of Eastern Avenue and U.S. Highway 95, suffered damage to four units, mostly on the patios and balconies.
The fire call came in at 9:47 a.m.
Neighbors tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers, but to no avail. When firefighters arrived, they put the blaze out within five minutes and were able to keep the fire from entering any of the apartments. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
Two units were occupied with one person each; the other two were vacant. Two people are receiving American Red Cross assistance.
A small girl was burned on her forearm as an ember fell on her while she waited in the parking lot .
Contact reporter Tom Ragan at tragan@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.
