Fire guts Summerlin home

By Cara McCoy

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008 | 12:31 p.m.

A fire caused $500,000 in damage Saturday night to a house in the Summerlin area, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue said.

Firefighters responded at 11:29 p.m. to 1512 Chambolle Court, near the intersection of Anasazi Drive and Summerlin Parkway, in the Vineyards subdivision. The fire engulfed the attic area of the two-story home. It took firefighters about half an hour to bring it under control.

No one was injured in the blaze. Fire officials said the home was vacant and the owners weren't living there because it is being renovated. Because such extensive remodeling is being done to the home, personal belongings had been removed, authorities said.

The owners had stopped by the home at about noon Saturday to check in with a contractor. The owners told fire officials that when they were in the house earlier that day, they smelled wood burning. When they asked the contractor about the odor, they were told a plumber was using a torch to weld water pipes in an upstairs bathroom, investigators said.

Authorities said the workers showed the owners that some wood had burned, but that the fire was out and they didn’t need to be concerned about it.

Officials said the fire started on the side of the house where a bathroom is located. The cause is under investigation. Two cats at the home haven't been found.