Officials: Worker was using plumbing torch before house caught fire

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue

Firefighters battle a fire at a house in the 2700 block of Howard Drive, near Fremont Street and St. Louis Avenue, the morning of Friday, June 12, 2015.

By Adwoa Fosu

Friday, June 12, 2015 | 9:35 a.m.

A worker was using a plumbing torch before a fire this morning that did $20,000 damage to a house that was being renovated, according to Las Vegas Fire & Rescue.

At 6:15 a.m., a passerby reported smoke coming from the roof of a one-story, vacant house in the 2700 block of Howard Drive, near Fremont Street and St. Louis Avenue, fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Firefighters arrived to find flames spreading up a wall and into the attic, Szymanski said.

A worker had been using a plumbing torch to work on pipes in the wall before the fire started, he said. It appeared the worker tried to put out the fire with water, fire department officials said.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, and no injuries were reported, Szymanski said. The fire was ruled an accident.