LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man, a woman, and "multiple" cats were found dead inside a tunnel in Las Vegas after a fire broke out on Monday afternoon, Clark County Fire officials said.
First responders were called to the underground tunnel in a wash area near the Silverton Hotel at approximately 3:24 p.m. A person who'd escaped the fire warned firefighters there were possibly other people trapped inside.
Fire officials described the difficulty of extinguishing the flames and searching for any victims, with the tunnel being so narrow and firefighters struggling for air.
"The tunnel was narrow and short, which made it difficult for the crew to advance," officials said. "When the crew did reach the seat of the fire, they were able to suppress it and had to immediately exit due to being low on air."
A second crew entered to search for any survivors, using ventilation fans to try and clear the air in front of them. They got 100 feet past the "seat" of the fire — the place where it appeared to have started — before they, too, had to turn back because they were struggling for air.
Using multiple crews, firefighters were able to search the entire tunnel by 7 p.m., and the victims were discovered.
Las Vegas Police officers were also called to assist, but a spokesperson clarified the fire was not being investigated as a homicide.
Fire officials said it will fall to the Clark County Coroner's Office to determine an official cause of death for the two victims.
As of this report, fire investigators had yet to determine the cause of the blaze.
Six engines, one truck, one rescue, the heavy rescue team, two battalion chiefs and an air resource unit responded with a total of 38 personnel, officials said.
