Man dies in apartment fire
A man died Friday morning after his apartment at the Sunrise Vista Motel on Charleston Boulevard was gutted by a fire.
Authorities received calls that smoke was coming from the unit at 3801 E. Charleston about 10:42 a.m. When firefighters arrived a few minutes later, heavy flames were shooting out of the man's first-floor studio apartment, said Tim Szymanski, spokesman for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue.
Firefighters put the fire out within minutes and found the charred body of a man in his 60s in bed, he said. The Clark County coroner's office will identify the man pending notification of his next of kin.
The fire destroyed the unit, causing an estimated $35,000 worth of damage. No one else was hurt, Szymanski said.
The cause of the fire wasn't known, but investigators believe the man was smoking while using a medical oxygen tank. Although no cigarettes were found, the remains of an exploded tank were found on the bed next to the man, and people who live in the complex told investigators that he had a history of smoking while using his oxygen, Szymanski said.
On Thanksgiving, firefighters responded to a fire caused by a person smoking near an oxygen tank on the city's east side. No one was seriously injured in that incident.
