Las Vegas has longest stretch with no fire deaths in 20-plus years

The Las Vegas Fire Department has achieved something for the first time in more than 20 years — 424 days without anyone dying in a fire on its watch.

The last person to die in the department’s jurisdiction was 28-year-old Carmen Salomon, in September 2013. She was trapped in her east valley home during a blaze. Hers was the last of eight fire-related deaths that year, and it was the beginning of a streak with no fatal fires as of Monday .

It’s the longest period of time Tim Szymanski, the fire department’s public education and information officer, has seen since he started tracking the data 18 years ago.

“You never went more than a year without a fire-related death,” Szymanski said.

Heading into cold weather and the holidays — when lots of people are firing up heaters and ovens — Las Vegas firefighters hope to remind valley residents how they can help finish out this year safely.

There are two reasons for the clean streak, Szymanski said: technology and prevention.

Automatic sprinkler systems have helped cut down on fires the last several years, and 2014 has been no exception. Szymanski said there were dozens of fires put out or slowed by the devices.

“It buys time for people to get out,” he said.

Prevention is something Szymanski is passionate about. As part of what he calls the most aggressive prevention program in the valley, he spends almost every day speaking to schools, businesses and senior centers about how to avoid accidental fires.

“I think a lot of people are picking up on it,” he said.

But Szymanski cautions valley residents to be careful as the holidays draw near. Last Thanksgiving, the department responded to five cooking fires and had 10 people evaluated for carbon monoxide poisoning. Cooking fires aren’t usually fatal, he said, but are the leading cause of all fires in Las Vegas.

Carbon monoxide exposure can happen easily in small kitchens, he said, but can be avoided by opening windows and doors for five minutes every hour while the stove is running.

Another problem during the holidays is electrical fires, the second leading type of fire in Szymanski’s jurisdiction. People have heated blankets and space heaters plugged in, which can short out wiring if the proper precautions aren’t taken.

Always keep space heaters 3 feet from anything combustible, he said, and never plug them into an extension cord.

Szymanski himself had a house fire stemming from electrical problems in January 2013. For months after, his 10-year-old grandson woke up every night crying and scared. Szymanski said on average, displaced families are out of their homes for six to nine months.

“It’s a very bad, ugly thing in your life,” he said. “Your life is on hold for all that time.”

The Las Vegas Fire Department is responsible for protecting about 600,000 residents. The department had received 94,433 calls for service this year through Saturday.

But the North Las Vegas Fire Department, which covers roughly 225,000 residents, has the longest current streak without a fatal fire in the valley at 936 days. The Clark County Fire Department, which covers about 900,000 residents, has gone 158 days, and the Henderson Fire Department, which covers about 270,000 residents, has gone 55 days.

Reporter Colton Lochhead contributed.

Contact reporter Annalise Little at alittle@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0391. Find her on Twitter: @annalisemlittle.