Downtown upholstery shop burns

A downtown upholstery store was damaged in a blaze Wednesday afternoon that also caused smoke damage to two nearby shops.

Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said the fire at the Alex Rivas Upholstery store, 1218 S. Main St., near Charleston Boulevard, was reported about 2:35 p.m.

Szymanski said firefighters arrived to find "heavy fire" and were concerned the blaze could spread to other shops within the strip mall.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but not before it caused moderate smoke damage to the neighboring Bail King and light smoke damage to a furniture business next to the bail agency.

Szymanski said the fire caused $200,000 in damage to the upholstery store. No one was injured, but a dog died in the fire.

Szymanski said the fire began outside the store and behind it, where items were stacked on shelves and furniture. The fire's cause has not been determined.

It was the third fire near downtown this week. On Sunday, two fires broke out on the same block within 12 hours of each other. An explosion occurred Sunday morning at an NV Energy substation at 1004 S. Main Street. The electric transformers caught fire.

Just before 6 p.m., a fire broke out at the Opportunity Village Thrift Store at 921 S. Main Street.

The official causes of Sunday's fires are still undetermined, but firefighters said the blast probably was accidental.