Officials investigating east valley apartment fire that took one life

Officials are investigating a fire at an east valley apartment that took one life and displaced six people from another unit early Sunday morning.

While neither the name or the gender of the victim has been released, neighbors and a relative said the person who died was Taneshia Smith, a 28-year-old mother of four children ages 6, 8, 10 and 11.

Neighbors and relatives held a vigil outside the apartment complex Sunday night. About 30 people attended the memorial, lighting candles, praying and writing messages on a poster that included pictures of Smith. The poster read “RIP Wenny,” which neighbors said was her nickname.

Smith was a “great mother,” the father of her children, Shante Shelton, said. “She was a good-spirited person. She wasn’t afraid to tell anyone exactly what she thought,” he said.

Crews responded at about 8:45 a.m. Sunday to the fire at the Olive Grove Apartments, 4450 Karen Ave., near the intersection of Lamb Boulevard and Karen Avenue, according to a news release from the Clark County Fire Department. Four engines, one truck, one rescue unit and two battalion chiefs were sent to the “high” level structure fire, according to the release sent by Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Buchanan.

Upon arrival, personnel reported smoke from the eaves of a second story of a multi-family apartment complex.

“Crews made an offensive fire attack, experiencing zero visibility on the fire floor and high temperatures. They located the fire in the upstairs kitchen,” the release said.

The release said one person was taken to Sunrise Hospital Medical Center in critical condition and was later pronounced dead. Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Jeff Goodwin said the person died from injuries related to the fire and noted it’s procedure for the homicide unit to investigate deaths in house fires.

Metro, the Clark County Fire Department and the Clark County coroner’s office are working together on the investigation, according to a release. No further details will be available until the conclusion of the investigation, the release said.

The American Red Cross is helping one adult and five children who were displaced from an adjacent apartment because of water damage from the incident. Monetary damages from the fire are estimated at $50,000.