News briefs for December 1, 2004

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

Man injured in blaze

A Las Vegas man appeared to have suffered minor injuries after a fire started in his home near Sandhill and Flamingo roads early this morning.

The fire in the 3900 block of Landsdown Place caused about $200,000 damage to the 2,300-square-foot house, Bob Leinbach, a spokesman for the Clark County Fire Department, said.

The resident, whose name was not available, suffered what appeared to Leinbach to be minor burns in the fire, he said. The man, who escaped the house and alerted neighbors to the fire, was transported to University Medical Center and released this morning.

A second man living at the house was not injured, Leinbach said. He said he did not know if the fire started in either man's bedroom.

About 35 firefighters responded to the blaze, which they say started in an upstairs bedroom, about 3:20 a.m., Leinbach said. By then, flames had already traveled through the home's attic and were showing through the roof.

Crews extinguished the fire shortly after 4 a.m., he said. Its cause is still under investigation.

Fire damages vacant home

Las Vegas Fire and Rescue investigators this morning are looking into what caused a fire in the bedroom of a West Las Vegas home Tuesday night.

No one was injured in the fire, which caused about $20,000 damage to the home in the 400 block of Alexander Avenue near D Street and West Lake Mead Boulevard, firefighters said. Crews responded to the home, which had been vacated as the owners renovated the property, about 11 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire was confined to the rear bedroom, firefighters said. Its cause is under investigation.

Parties want Nevada recount

CARSON CITY -- Though the Green Party and the Libertarian Party each received less than 1 percent of the vote in the presidential election in Nevada, they are asking for a recount.

Libertarian Michael Badnarik gained 3,149 votes or 0.38 percent of those cast for president and Green Party Candidate David Cobb tallied 837 votes or 0.10 percent.

Steve George, a spokesman for the Secretary of State's Office, said Monday it received the request last week and has asked the counties to give an estimate of how much it will cost to recount the presidential contest where more than 800,000 votes were cast.

He said once the estimates are received, the two parties will have to provide a cashier check or credit card to cover the entire cost. If there is no change in the outcome, than the two parties will lose the money they put up.

If there is a change in the outcome, the Green and Libertarian parties will receive a refund.

President Bush received 414,939 votes to 393,372 for Sen. John Kerry.