Fire rips through apartments

Heather Rawlyk and Ed Koch

Friday, Nov. 28, 2003 | 11:03 a.m.

Twenty-five people were burned out of their apartments on Thanksgiving Day after a two-alarm fire swept through their complex on 28th Street near Charleston Boulevard.

No residents were killed or seriously injured in the late-morning blaze Thursday at the Desert Rose Apartments, but two people suffered minor problems from smoke inhalation, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Syzmanski said. They were treated by paramedics.

The blaze caused an estimated $125,000 in damage and killed Charles Briski's 6-month-old kitten, Tramp.

Briski said he was entering his kitchen for a drink of water about 9 a.m. when he saw flames.

"I tried to open the front door and saw flames going through the roof," he said. "Me and my roommate ran into the kitchen because everything was engulfed. We tried to run toward the balcony, but it was also in flames."

Briski, who lived in a second-floor apartment, quickly ran next door to a neighbor's room and hurried down the front steps. He said the apartments were set up in quads -- four bedrooms that shared a common kitchen and bathroom area.

While the quad setup provided a safe exit, the open kitchen area also allowed the fire to spread from apartment to apartment quickly, firefighters said.

The fire, which started in a room downstairs from Briski, spread throughout the eight studios of Building 19, a two-story wood frame and stucco building.

Firefighters said one woman returned from her kitchen to find her mattress on fire, and that they could not rule out careless smoking as a cause.

Briski said he felt lucky to get out because, "That fire was quick. Another 20 or 30 seconds and we would have never gotten out."

Briski said he grabbed Tramp from the kitchen sink on his way out, but the frightened kitten jumped out of his hands and there was no time to go back for the animal.

The kitten was later found by Fire Capt. John Hurley, who discovered the seriously burnt Tramp meowing under a mattress. Firefighters assisted the kitten, giving him oxygen and cleaning him off. Animal Control was called, and decided to put the animal down because of severe burns and other injuries.

Briski said he had Tramp since the kitten was only eight days old.

Briski did manage to save a giant teddy bear he had purchased for his 11-year-old daughter, Brittanie.

Getting the bear safely out of the apartment was a top priority, Briski said.

"The bear was sitting by the door," he said. "I picked it up and got it out of the apartment. It is fine. Everything else is all smoky and black, but the bear is perfect."

Briski was waiting for his ex-wife and daughter to pick him up for Thanksgiving when the fire swept through his apartment. He added that his daughter was happy the bear was safe.

The nearly 4-foot "Christmas Bear," wearing a Santa hat and holding a stocking, joined residents who lined up behind the complex to keep an eye on the scene.

Nadine Davis, who lives in Building 20, said she remembers seeing the bear looking up at her as she exited her apartment.

"I heard someone yell, 'Get out', so I looked out my window," she said. "It was like an audience or something was looking up at me. Then I noticed this giant bear sitting with them. I thought that was strange."

Davis added that she did not hear a smoke alarm.

"There is a problem with the fire (smoke) alarms," she said. "The sensors are not working."

Davis said this was not surprising.

"They do not check the alarms periodically here like they should," she said. "They need to fix the alarms and make sure they are working. It's very dangerous."

Several residents agreed and said they were disgusted that the complex did not have working alarms.

Patrick Greeley, another resident of Building 19, said he had constant problems with the apartment complex.

"I've always had problems with this place," he said. "It's ridiculous the alarms don't work. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you their alarm did not go off."

Szymanski said during his walk through the complex after the fire was out he saw smoke alarms in the units that were damaged by smoke, but could not tell if the units that were gutted had such alarms.

"It's hard for us to say who is at fault because there are instances where management provides smoke detectors and tenants disconnect the wiring or remove the battery because they don't want them going off when they are cooking or smoking," Szymanski said.

"If we get a number of resident complaints we will send inspectors out Monday to check on it. But even if there are no alarms, we will first give landlords an opportunity to fix the problem before fining them. We find that 99 percent of them do the job right away (to avoid potential fines)."

Szymanski said it is the landlord's responsibility to do periodic maintenance, such as checking and, if necessary, repairing or replacing damaged smoke alarms when tenants move out of apartments.

Leo Bergeron, assistant manager of Desert Rose, said today his complex is up to code.

"We just had the smoke detectors checked and the fire extinguishers in each apartment checked last Thursday by the (city) fire marshal," Bergeron said.

"Every kitchen in every apartment has a fire extinguisher. Why they didn't use them, I do not know."

Bergeron said that while his complex is old, it is properly maintained, with smoke alarms repaired or changed when tenants move out as part of a series of maintenance duties that include cleaning and repainting the units.

The American Red Cross was at the scene by early afternoon to work with apartment management in finding places for the residents.

Ted Zidenberg, American Red Cross Disaster Services Team captain, said the team also will provide some food and clothing to displaced residents who need the help.

The apartment management offered to relocate displaced residents to other apartments in the complex.

Ron Thomas said he was going to take them up on the offer.

"My things weren't too damaged, they are OK as far as I know," he said. "I'm willing to just move over to this one. I don't want to put the Red Cross out when there are people worse off."

Others declined to be relocated in Desert Rose, saying the living conditions were poor. Briski, for one, decided not to relocate to another Desert Rose apartment.

"I'm going to see what the Red Cross will do for me," he said. "Then I'll give my daughter her bear, and start all over."

The apartment fire was just one of several Thanksgiving Day blazes.

Fifteen people were sent fleeing from their Thanksgiving dinner table when a chimney caught fire in a home at 8625 Rosada Way near Lone Mountain and Durango roads shortly after 4 p.m. The blaze in the large home with a cathedral ceiling caused $250,000, Szymanski said.

Szymanski said a creosote buildup sparked the blaze that has been ruled accidental. He said the woman who owns the home told firefighters she had not had the chimney cleaned in several years. No one was injured, he said.

The fire was discovered as the family sat down for dinner. Family members made their way to the roof and shoved a garden hose down the chimney to put it out. That was a big mistake, Szymanski said.

"It sent the heat and smoke into the house and cracked a chimney pipe that also sent flames and smoke into the attic," Szymanski said. "The best way to deal with a chimney fire is to call the fire department.

"If you are going to use a garden hose, spray from the ground up so that the flames and smoke will go their natural course up and out of the chimney.

Szymanski said the fire department recommends that people have their chimneys cleaned once very two years by a professional chimney sweep who also checks for cracks when removing creosote buildup.

It took firefighters about 15 minutes to bring the quick-moving blaze under control.

Because the four people who lived in the house have relatives who live nearby, the residents of the house were able to stay with relatives, Szymanski said.

Firefighters also were called to the Sky Vu Mobile Home Park at 15 West Owens Ave. near Main Street about 6 a.m. Thursday. Szymanski said the dollar damage on the gutted older unit was estimated at $8,000.

The only occupant of the single-wide mobile home escaped without injury from the blaze that has been ruled accidental. It was sparked by old electrical wiring, Szymanski said.

The man said he awoke to a foul smell at 2 a.m., but could not find the source.

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