Man dies in house fire near downtown Las Vegas; woman, officers treated for smoke inhalation

One man died and one woman was taken to the hospital after being trapped in a burning house Wednesday night near downtown Las Vegas. Twelve police officers were checked for smoke inhalation and at least one of them was taken to the hospital for further treatment.

Las Vegas police responded about 11 p.m. to multiple reports of a house fire in the 1200 block of West Washington Avenue, near J Street.

On arrival they discovered a woman at the front of the house who couldn’t escape because the door, made of bars, was locked. As more police arrived they were able to use bolt cutters to cut the door in half and pull the woman out, according to Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski. She was immediately transported to University Medical Center for smoke inhalation.

The woman told police there was a man still in the home who couldn’t get out.

When firefighters arrived the home was heavily involved in flames and smoke. They walked around the outside of the house and located the man in one of the rooms, but he was unable to get out because the windows also had bars on them.

Firefighters directed the man into a room with no fire and used the fire hose through the window to keep flames from entering the room, Szymanski said. They told the man to stay in the room as they worked to remove the bars from the window, but the man left the room and the firefighters lost sight of him.

By the time they were able to enter the home the man was dead.

The fire, which remained under investigation, caused about $80,000 in damage.

Contact reporter Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0391.