Las Vegas Sun

February 13, 2012

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Propane barbecue blamed in Las Vegas house fire

By Kyle B. Hansen (contact)

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 | 5:38 p.m.

Barbecue fire

A fire that started during a backyard barbecue severely damaged a Las Vegas home Saturday afternoon.

No one was injured in the fire, but the Las Vegas Fire Department estimated the fire caused $50,000 in damage to the house at 4513 Stacey Ave., near Lake Mead and Decatur boulevards.

Fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said a man put food on the propane barbecue, which was about four feet from the back of the house, then returned inside the home just after noon.

After hearing a noise from the backyard, the man discovered smoke and fire coming from the barbecue, which caused the hose from the propane tank to break, making the fire even hotter, firefighters said.

The propane tank then exploded, breaking a window and door of the house. The fire spread to the kitchen of the home through the broken window.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire minutes after arriving, but the the rear of the house was severely damaged, the kitchen was gutted and the rest of the home had heavy heat and smoke damage, Szymanski said.

The American Red Cross is assisting the family of two adults and two teenagers displaced by the fire.

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