Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 | 10:23 a.m.
Fire sprinklers prevented a blaze in the attic of a downtown commercial building from spreading before firefighters could extinguish it, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said.
The cause of the fire, which did about $100,000 damage, is under investigation, officials said.
A homeless woman with burns was found nearby, but it has not been determined if her injuries were related to the fire, officials said.
The fire was initially reported about 4:10 a.m. today burning along some railroad tracks and extending to the rear of a large commercial building in the 800 block of Bonanza Road, officials said. A set of wooden stairs was on fire, but it appeared the fire was outside the building, officials said.
About 20 minutes later, a fire alarm was received from the building location, indicating the fire might have gotten inside, officials said. Firefighters forced their way into the building and found it full of smoke, officials said.
Fire was discovered in the attic, but it was being held in check by the sprinkler system and was quickly extinguished, officials said.
Investigators believe the fire started around the wooden stairs at the rear of the building, officials said.
They also received information that shortly before the fire was reported, a homeless woman was picked up nearby by an ambulance and taken to a hospital with burns, officials said. Investigators a looking into whether she has a connection with the fire, officials said.
