Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Fire burns homeless man, woman trying to stay warm

A man and a woman, both homeless, sleeping by a warming fire in the central Las Vegas Valley suffered burns at about 9:40 a.m. today.

They were asleep next to Interstate 15, south of Bonanza Road near H Street, when the man's clothing caught fire, said Tim Szymanski, spokesman for the Las Vegas Fire Department. The man, believed to be in his 20s, has second- and third-degree burns on more than 30 percent of his body from the waist up.

The woman received second-degree burns when she heard the man screaming and tried to put the fire out, Szymanski said.

The pair walked to a bus stop at H Street and Bonanza, where Fire and Rescue crews met them and took them to University Medical Center for treatment, Szymanski said.

The incident has been ruled accidental by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue investigators, Szymanski said.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy