Cause of deadly Las Vegas apartment fire undetermined

The Las Vegas Fire Department said Thursday that it has been unable to determine the exact cause of a fire at a central valley apartment complex that killed an 8-year-old girl and her parents in January.

The fire, however, appears to be accidental, department spokesman Tim Szymanski said in a release. The incident was the deadliest fire in the history of the department and may have been smoking-related.

Westlake Apartments resident Diana Bankston, 37, and her 8-year-old daughter, Kaysha Ray, died after a 1 a.m. fire in their home Jan. 19. Andrew Ray, 39, was found badly burned and suffering from smoke inhalation just outside of the apartment. He died several days later.

Szymanski said the complex, on the corner of West Lake Mead Boulevard and H Street, complied with all of the department’s instructions after it failed its most recent fire inspection.

Records obtained Wednesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed the complex failed a May 2016 inspection because of problems with bars on unit windows, rear exits chained shut and outdated fire alarm systems. The complex also did not pass an inspection for the same reasons in 2011.

The department said Thursday that the complex provided documentation that the 2016 work had been completed within two weeks. A follow-up inspection checked random units and found them in compliance.

State law requires a smoke alarm in every room at hotels or motels with at least six guest rooms and in every unit of apartment buildings with at least three units. Early news reports said that no smoke alarms were found in the apartment.

Syzmanski said Thursday that Ray, a maintenence worker at the complex, may have removed the smoke alarms to paint his apartment after a grease fire that was not reported to the department.

FUNDRAISING EFFORTS

Fundraising efforts to cover funeral costs the three family members have fallen flat so far.

A Go Fund Me page was set up to raise money for funeral costs. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the account had reached only $1,960 of its $25,000 goal.

“They can’t even afford to bury him,” attorney Farhan Naqvi said, referring to Ray. Naqvi represents the two teenage daughters who escaped the blaze.

Tasha Oliver, who lives at the apartment complex, said Wednesday that residents planned to have a car wash and barbecue fundraiser in the complex’s parking lot Thursday afternoon. From noon to 3 p.m., the parking lot appeared mostly quiet with no signs of a fundraiser.

Two residents interviewed Wednesday said some people were afraid to speak out about the condition of the complex because they heard they could be evicted for making the issues public. A woman who identified herself only as the property manager said Thursday that residents were free to talk to reporters, but that media were not allowed on the property.

Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Follow @WesJuhl on Twitter. Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.