Three injured, 6 displaced in southwest Las Vegas house fire

Three palm trees and a home in the southwest valley were damaged in a fire Friday afternoon.

The Las Vegas Fire Department responded to a 3:40 p.m. call of two palm trees on fire at 5001 Churchill Ave., near South Decatur Boulevard and Meadows Lane.

Upon arrival, crews noticed the fire extended to the attic of the house, and that another palm tree directly behind that house, at 4909 Harmony, also caught on fire, the department said via Twitter. The breezy weather caused the embers from the palm trees on Churchill to reach the palm trees on Harmony.

The occupants were home during the time of the fire, but they did not know the house was on fire, department spokesman Tim Szymanski said. A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper was driving near the home and noticed a large column of black smoke along the neighborhood and ran to the front door of the house, shouting for everyone to get out of the house, Szymanski said.

The fire started on the rear patio and spread to the trees, which were next to a power pole that was also damaged from the fire. NV Energy was on the scene Friday afternoon for repairs. The department said approximately 25 homes on Harmony and Churchill avenues wouldn’t have power for two to three hours.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, although the department said it could be electrical in nature because there was wiring in the area where the fire started.

Five adults and one child have been displaced because of the fire. Three people have been taken to the hospital, two because of smoke inhilation and the third because of chest pains, the department said.

Damages are estimated at $50,000.

Contact Jessica Terrones at jterrones@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @JessATerrones on Twitter.