Blaze at Henderson pallet storage yard brought under control

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Published Tuesday, June 8, 2010 | 7:59 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, June 9, 2010 | 4:16 a.m.

Firefighters battled a massive, four-alarm blaze at a pallet storage yard off Boulder Highway on Tuesday night that forced the evacuation of a nearby hotel and other businesses, officials said.

Nobody was injured, but damage was estimated at more than $2 million, fire officials said.

Boulder Highway was closed in both directions in the area of West Barrett Street while units from the Henderson and Clark County fire departments worked to extinguish the fire, Henderson Deputy Fire Chief Steve Goble said.

The fire, reported about 7:20 p.m. in the 400 block of Mark Leany Drive, had been brought under control by 10:30 p.m. But fire crews were expected to be on the scene past midnight mopping up and putting out remaining hot spots, Goble said.

“It’s well controlled and well contained now,” he said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, Goble said.

The fire spread to an adjacent warehouse that sustained extensive damage when the roof collapsed, officials said. Several other nearby businesses sustained heat damage, such as broken glass and melted plastic, as well as smoke damage, officials said.

The pallet yard stretches nearly the entire length of the south side of Mark Leany Drive and sits behind several businesses.

Flames from the fire were visible more than 13 miles away, and smoke could be seen across the valley. A nearby Holiday Inn and several other businesses were evacuated, Goble said.

At the nearby Skyline Restaurant and Casino, a pit boss said there was a strong smell of smoke in the air and a number of explosions could be heard.

“It was enormous,” he said. “Everyone cleared out of here to watch the fire. They’re not gambling.”

Goble said a number of propane tanks were reported at the site, which may have been responsible for some of the explosions.

Fire investigators expect there will be a lengthy investigation to determine the cause of the blaze, he said.