Two-day aftermath of a fatal fire that killed a 74-year-old woman in a mobile home at 3209 Orr Avenue in North Las Vegas, Feb. 13, 2020.
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020 | 7:52 p.m.
North Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Nino Galloway (left) and Fire Chief Joseph Calhoun brief reporters Saturday Feb. 15, 2020, on a fire sparked by a space heater, which killed a 74-year-old in a mobile home at 3209 Orr Avenue.
From the moment a space heater in the bedroom of a double-wide mobile home in North Las Vegas sparked the first flame, survival odds were quickly stacked against the elderly resident, fire officials said.
The fatal victim, a 74-year-old woman, was lying in bed about 7 p.m. Thursday in an older mobile home community at 3209 Orr Avenue when the bedroom fire broke out.
“She had a hard time getting around,” said Nino Galloway, spokesman with the North Las Vegas Fire Department.
The home, tucked near Pecos Road and Carey Avenue, hadn’t had gas service for about eight years, Galloway said. Instead, the family relied on at least one portable heater as a primary source of heat.
Investigators believe the space heater, which was situated near the woman’s bed, caught something on fire when it made contact with device, Galloway said. Multiple people called 911, and when crews arrived six minutes later, flames were shooting out of the roof. The blaze was mostly contained to the bedroom, he said.
Family members who lived at the home weren’t there when the fire broke out, but arrived to find firefighters, Galloway said. They had the woman’s dinner, he added.
"She was definitely being cared for by her family. It was just a very unfortunate accident," he said
Fire Chief Joseph Calhoun said damage was substantial, but to a casual observer Saturday morning, the affected home still didn’t stand out amongst the other homes in the neighborhood. A closer look would reveal a smashed bedroom window and only slight water and smoke stains on the exterior. A couple of charred items sat near the entrance, as did a resting cat.
On a typical year, North Las Vegas averages one or two fatal fires, Calhoun said. This was the third fatality investigated this year.
Over the past few decades, as the use of space heaters has increased, so have home fires blamed on them, said Calhoun, adding that he understands some residents need them.
He recommended people invest in newer-model space heaters that are built with safety features. He said the devices should be placed away from clothing, linens, and other flammable items. They, and other appliances, should be plugged in directly to the wall and not with an extension cord, he said.
He also said that in a lot of commercial and home fires, poor housekeeping decreases the chances of survival when flames break out.
“This fire, as well as few others that have happened in the city, we have the responsibility as firefighters to let people know what caused it and then help prevent future ones,” Galloway said
