Three pets die in morning fire

Monday, March 13, 2000 | 11:34 a.m.

A two-alarm apartment fire today left 10 people homeless and killed a dog and two cats, the Clark County Fire Department said.

The fire shortly before 6 a.m. at the Villa Del Rio Apartments, 3800 S. Nellis Blvd., was the third two-alarm apartment fire in less than a week.

Today's fire, which caused an estimated $20,000 damage, was caused by a resident falling asleep while smoking a cigarette, said Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach, noting that one ground floor apartment was gutted and three other units were damaged.

Two people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and two 1-year-old cats and a 6-year-old dog in the apartment of Alvin Streeter, 43, were killed.

Roman Esparza, manager of the apartment complex, which is 5 to 10 years old, said a couple in one of the upstairs apartments lowered their 6-year-old son out a window to a neighbor below then jumped to the grass from the same window.

Streeter, who said he fell asleep while smoking, was awakened by the smoke alarm and got his girlfriend's son out of the apartment while he tried to smother the flames with clothes and a fire extinguisher. His girlfriend was working at the University Medical Center at the time.

"It (the fire) just got too big so I got Benjamin out and knocked on a neighbor's door to call the fire department," Streeter said. "The smoke alarm definitely saved our lives."

Esparza said efforts will be made to find vacant units within the complex for the displaced tenants, and at least two had been relocated by 9 a.m., he said.