Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Wind-whipped fire does $50,000 damage to 2 houses

Fire

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue crews extinguished a fire that started between these two homes at 416 and 420 Princeton St. early Wednesday, April 23, 2014. Combined damage was estimated at $50,000.

Fire

The narrow space between two houses acted as a wind tunnel, fanning an early morning fire that caused about $50,000 damage before firefighters put it out, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said.

Nobody was injured, but seven people were forced out of the homes and were being assisted by the American Red Cross, officials said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Dispatchers received a call at 1:37 a.m. today that a house at 416 Princeton St., near U.S. 95 and Decatur Boulevard, was on fire and that the flames were spreading to a house next door at 420 Princeton St., fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said in a news release.

“The fire started outside, alongside the house at 416 Princeton St. The small space between the two houses acted like a wind tunnel and with brisk northwest winds, it fanned the flames,” he said.

Firefighters extinguished the fire outside in just a few minutes and then went inside the single-story, wood-frame houses to make sure the blaze was out, Szymanski said.

The fire started next to the house at 416 Princeton St. Most of the damage was confined to the exterior of the house, the roof and a back room, Szymanski said. Damage was estimated at $35,000.

The house at 420 Princeton St. sustained minor exterior damage; fire broke through a window and did minor damage to the interior of a bedroom, Szymanski said. Damage was estimated at $15,000.

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