Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Witnesses offer ‘sketchy stories’ about Henderson brush fire, official says

Henderson Brush Fire

Bruce Levine / Special to the Las Vegas Sun

People watch as a brush fire burns Sunday, May 19, 2013, at the Whitney Ranch Recreational Area, precariously close to an apartment complex in Henderson.

Henderson firefighters are investigating the cause of a brush fire Sunday at the Whitney Ranch Recreational Area that threatened a nearby apartment complex and forced the evacuation of some residents.

Nobody was injured, and firefighters stopped the wind-whipped blaze from spreading to any of the apartment buildings, a Henderson Fire Department official said today.

Sunset Road was closed in the area from Valley Verde Drive to Arroyo Grande Boulevard for about three hours.

“There were several witnesses who were interviewed and they had some sketchy stories, so we’re still trying to track down some things,” Battalion Chief Shawn White said.

A report came in about 7 p.m. Sunday that a palm tree was on fire near the apartment complex, and when firefighters arrived, they found a large brush fire quickly spreading.

Residents in a building nearest the fire were evacuated for a brief time.

The blaze was brought under control within 20 minutes, but crews remained on the scene for nearly four hours to search for any remaining embers and hot spots in the brush.

An NV Energy crew evaluated possible damage to power lines exposed to the fire, but the power company reported there was no damage to the lines, White said.

There was, however, extensive damage to communication lines, and Century Link crews responded to make repairs, White said.

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