Las Vegas Sun

December 3, 2009

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Editorial: Check out the jungle

Thursday, Oct. 31, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

It's a junkyard jungle out there beyond Lamb Boulevard and Craig Road -- a maze of auto parts graveyards and massive heaps of assorted whatnot.

As last weekend's fire revealed, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

The fire started Friday at the C&W Construction Cleanup yard, which contained refuse from new construction sites and other rubbish. Winds blew the blaze to the neighboring Shear Force Co., a business that shreds wood scraps.

Firefighters trying to put out this smoldering mess discovered that the closest hydrant was dry. And other hydrants in the area did not offer optimal water pressure. The hydrants were the responsibility of the North Las Vegas Fire Department.

After the fire was finally extinguished Tuesday afternoon, county fire officials noted that C&W Construction Cleanup did not have a business license. Shear Force has a business license, but had nothing on file showing that it had installed a sprinkler system or other fire prevention system as repeatedly requested by inspectors.

The fallout from this fire should be a kick in the collective pants of those whose job is to make sure businesses are properly licensed and fire hydrants are in working order.

If the condition of the northeast valley is any indication, local officials need to get out of their offices more often and find out what's going on.

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