Firefighters, winds do battle over blaze at recycling company
Firefighters battled a four-alarm fire for more than five hours Friday in North Las Vegas, with flames shooting hundreds of feet in the air that could be seen as far away as Southern Highlands in the southwest valley. Smoke from the blaze could be seen in Henderson.
Authorities said firefighters were called to 4751 Vandenberg Drive, near Interstate 15 and Craig Road, about 10 a.m. The business on fire was Secured Fibres, a company specializing in recycling, document destruction and waste management.
Initially a two-alarm fire, the blaze was upgraded to a four-alarm fire after heavy winds blew embers up to a half mile away and ignited a second fire, according to North Las Vegas fire officials. The second blaze also was extinguished.
Multiple agencies responded to help North Las Vegas firefighters, including units from Las Vegas, Clark County and Nellis Air Force Base. More than 100 firefighters and 36 units battled the blaze.
There were no injuries to firefighters or civilians.
Firefighters were still on scene late Friday afternoon, using bulldozers to uncover fire burning deep within heavy bales of recycling materials, according to fire officials.
A damage estimate had not been determined by late Friday afternoon. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the scale of the blaze was attributed in part to high winds.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Contact reporter Doug McMurdo at dmcmurdo@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512.
