Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Man admits to starting fire in vacant apartment complex unit that displaces 12

12-21-2014 fire

Courtesy of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue

A fire that broke out in a vacant unit of a one-story apartment building in the 1300 block of North 22nd Street about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014, displaced 12 people and caused about $40,000 in damage. An investigation indicated the fire broke out in the living room of the residence, where homeless people had been staying.

Updated Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 | 5:01 p.m.

Vacant apartment fire

A man who said he started a fire in a bathtub is believed to have caused a blaze that displaced 12 people and resulted in about $40,000 of damage to an east valley apartment building.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire in a one-story apartment building in the 1300 block of North 22nd Street, near East Owens and North Eastern avenues, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said in a statement.

Firefighters responded about 1:30 a.m. after they received reports of flames coming out of an apartment window, and they had the fire under control in about five minutes, the statement said.

The four-unit building sustained heat and smoke damage.

Only one unit in the building was occupied, and the three adults and nine children staying in that apartment were displaced due to the smoke, officials said. The American Red Cross of Southern Nevada is aiding the displaced family.

Officials initially believed the fire broke out in the living room of the residence, where it appeared homeless people had been staying, the statement said.

Metro called arson investigators about two hours after the fire to a nearby convenience store, where a man who was involved in a domestic dispute with a woman told officials he caused the fire, the statement said.

The man told police and investigators that he entered the apartment through a window and started the fire to stay warm, but it grew out of control. When he could not extinguish the fire, the man alerted neighbors and helped them leave the building before growing scared and leaving the scene, officials said.

He told officials he and his girlfriend were arguing about him wanting to turn himself in, and he apologized for causing the fire.

The man has not been charged with arson or trespassing, as the fire appears to have been an accident and the man was not trespassing when police spoke with him, the statement said. The man may, however, face civil action.

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