Blowtorch sparks fire at apartment complex

Stephen Curran

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 | 9:18 a.m.

A plumber using a blowtorch inadvertently caused a fire Monday afternoon that heavily damaged an apartment complex, fire investigators say.

About 30 firefighters from Las Vegas and Clark County responded to the blaze, which started about noon at the Roman Villas apartments, 3675 Cambridge Ave., Bob Leinbach, spokesman for the Clark County Fire Department, said.

The residents of the roughly 300 apartments in the complex -- which sits at the corner of West Twain Avenue and Cambridge Street -- were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.

Damage to the complex is estimated at $750,000, Leinbach said.

Teachers at a nearby public school were cautioned to keep children indoors during the fire.

Firefighters believe the blaze started about 9 a.m. Monday near the complex management office when a plumber working unbeknownst to the managers was welding, Leinbach said.

The quick-spreading nature of the fire prompted a four-person crew to climb onto the roof of the building that housed the office, an unorthodox maneuver that made some bystanders report that people were stranded on the roof, Leinbach said.

Bernard Lavoot, a 15-year resident of the complex, did not immediately respond when firefighters knocked on his door. He later came out to the complex parking lot when he heard the crews working.

"I was watching a baseball game," Lavoot said. "I didn't hear any noise or anything."

Investigators believe the fire started when a plumber performing maintenance on one of the building's pipes struck a metal conduit, causing smoke to travel through the three-story buildings, Leinbach said.