LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The fire that raged downtown on Sunday night, displacing hundreds of people and severely burning 10 buildings, is currently under investigation.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue public information officer Tim Szymanski said there was a red flag warning in effect prior to the fire. He also confirmed only one minor injury and no major concerns about criminal activity.
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“Could be a number of things,” Szymanski said. “At this stage, it's undetermined and under investigation.”
Szymanski has also identified this fire as “the biggest” to occur in an “occupied dwelling” in Las Vegas in the past 25 years. The heat of the fire was so intense, according to investigators, that even buildings untouched by the fire were still burned.
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Szymanski noted that the two-story apartment building had not had any work done in a year, though at one point, developers wanted to raise it to three stories. NV Energy ultimately did not approve this, as it would put the buildings in close proximity to electrical wires.
There was also no 911 call placed for the fire, as firefighters were heading back from another call when they saw “a column of smoke.”
Investigators are currently looking into the possibility of heavy firework activity in the area, but also note that their arson K-9 did not pick up anything during a sweep of the area.
