Cause of fire at thrift store under investigation

A scorched shell filled with blackened rubble and missing half its roof is all that's left of a thrift store that employs 40 intellectually disabled workers and has offered discount deals to shoppers for a half-century.

Fire crews spent much of Monday assessing the damage and trying to determine whether the blaze that engulfed the Opportunity Village Thrift Store on Sunday was linked to a gas leak and an NV Energy substation explosion that occurred earlier that day.

Fire officials have yet to give a dollar estimate of the damage.

The nonprofit group's representatives say insurance will cover the damage and lost business, but they're hoping someone will donate 20,000 to 30,000 square feet of retail space until the store can be rebuilt at the site on Main Street and Coolidge Avenue or elsewhere. That could take a year or more, they say.

In the meantime, the store employees will work temporary jobs at the group's three campuses, which offer clients vocational training, networking and help in finding work.

"This building has seen a lot," said Stephen Miller, special events manager for Opportunity Village. "It's a shame the fire ripped through it the way it did."

As of Monday, investigators hadn't linked the fire to a nearby underground gas leak and substation blast that shattered the store's windows and injured two pedestrians Sunday morning.

"We have very large incidents that happened at the same time," said Tim Szymanski, spokesman for the Las Vegas Fire Department, referring to the gas leak and substation blast. "It's a puzzle and we're putting together the pieces. It takes a few days to get the pieces together."

The substation exploded just after 6:30 a.m., Szymanski said. After firefighters arrived, they noticed a natural gas odor emanating from the ground.

Utility crews stopped the gas leak by 8:45 a.m., he said, noting the store fire didn't break out until nine hours later. The store's alarm system and sprinklers weren't working when fire crews arrived at 6 p.m., according to the fire report.

After the morning explosion, store managers called the 25 to 30 employees who were scheduled to work that day and told them to stay home, Miller said. That proved fortuitous because the store was vacant when the fire broke out, when normally the store would have been open, he said.

Built in 1957, the thrift store has attracted the likes of Bob Hope and Elvis Presley, Miller said. The store rings up $3,000 to $5,000 a day in sales, he said, adding that an insurance policy will cover those losses.

The store has been a charitable fixture, employing workers with intellectual disabilities and offering them a place to socially connect with others like themselves.

Employees are paid according to their productivity, meaning those who move 100 garments in an hour will earn more than those who move 50 items, Miller said.

Many workers have been there five-plus years, Miller said. A woman named Annie has worked at the store 35 years.

Victor Vasquez, 20, a store employee, was hired a week before the fire. He said he enjoyed helping customers carry items to their cars, and they appreciated the service.

"I'm sad because it got burned," Vasquez said. "The customers are sad that it's closed."

Kathy Areepituk , 21, also got a job there a week ago. This is her first job, and she was confident she could find another, she said, though she would prefer to stay where she is.

"I hope it reopens," she said.

The store, however, appears wrecked.

Water from fire hoses collapsed a large section of the roof. The storefront is windowless, with glass shards covering the sidewalk and charred debris piled high inside.

Opportunity Village's leaders are awaiting word on whether the building has enough structural integrity left to repair it or whether they'll have to move, Miller said.

The blaze destroyed donations for the Magical Forest, a three-acre winter display that the group tries to give a fresh look every year, Miller said. It also ruined new furniture from the World Market Center.

The fire spared part of the building's north side, he said. But whatever merchandise the flames didn't char, smoke and water damaged.

"Most likely nothing will be salvageable," he said.

Miller said he was confident someone would donate temporary space while the organization rebuilds. The community has shown strong support over the years for the organization and the store, he said.

Freeman, an event organizing company, gave the group three tractor-trailers for storage, Miller said. And XL Steel has discussed providing cranes to remove rubble from the building.

"The community has been amazing," Miller said.

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@ reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.