Fire destroys condo project

Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2003 | 11:09 a.m.

A three-alarm, pre-dawn fire today destroyed an under-construction time-share condominium project at West Tropicana Avenue and South Decatur Boulevard and damaged a neighboring condominium complex, displacing 20 people.

The Clark County Fire Department responded to the blaze at Consolidated Resorts' Tahiti at 5101 W. Tropicana Ave. after the first alarm went off at 2:30 a.m. A second alarm went off at 2:40 a.m. and a third alarm 10 minutes after that, fire department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

A damage estimate was not immediately available, but Leinbach said it could be in the six figures. Traffic in the area was rerouted for hours and morning commuters were being warned to avoid the area.

One of the 80 firefighters from 23 county units suffered a minor injury when debris got in his eye. He was treated at the scene, Leinbach said.

Two city of Las Vegas units also responded to the fire at the three-buildings where flames were 40 feet or higher.

The Tahiti had been under construction since August, said John Robertson, senior project manager for Martin-Harris Construction, general contractor for the 186-unit complex.

"It's just awful," Robertson said. "Right now we do not know what our rebuilding plans are. We will be concentrating on getting the site secured."

The West Trop Condominiums at 5155 W. Tropicana Ave. had three buildings that were damaged by the fire, two eight-unit structures by heat and one eight-unit building by flames, Leinbach said, noting the flame-damaged units were not habitable.

Twenty residents from seven families were taken to Helen Jydstrup Elementary School at 5150 Duneville St. for emergency shelter, said Sharon Tutrone, spokeswoman for the Clark County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The fire is under investigation, Leinbach said, noting no cause has been determined.