Heavy winds fan flames at four blazes in mobile home parks

Clark County firefighters had to fight high winds and fatigue as they fought four mobile home park fires across the valley Thursday afternoon.

All the fires happened between noon and 6 p.m. when the wind was blowing from 25-35 mph with gusts as high as 40-50 mph, a National Weather Service spokesman said.

"When it's windy like this you have to get to the scene and see what it is doing to the fire, and go from there," department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

The wind played a big role in the first fire that started around noon at the Tropicana Mobile Home Park, 300 E. Tropicana Ave. A short in a power meter box started a brush fire near several homes, department spokesman Steve La-Sky said.

"The wind pushed the fire 15 feet to one of the mobile homes," La-Sky said.

A damage estimate was not available, but the fire destroyed one mobile home.

The second fire started at about 3 p.m. at the Pueblo Del Sol mobile home park, 3751 S. Nellis Blvd. The fire was caused by an improperly ventilated gas water heater, and did $40,000 in damage, destroying one mobile home, La-Sky said.

The third fire, at the Miracle Mile mobile home park, 3642 Boulder Highway, started at about 3:30 p.m. and wind was again a factor.

The fire was started by some juveniles who were smoking in a wash adjacent to the complex, according to the department. The wind blew the grass fire into the mobile homes, damaging one and gutting another. Damages are estimated at $30,000.

The last mobile home fire of the evening was at the Comstock Country family mobile home park, 3990 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

It started at about 6 p.m. and caused $1,000 in damage. A responding county fire engine was involved in a minor accident with a motorist, who was taken to University Medical Center for minor injuries.

No one was hurt in the four fires, but a dog died in the fire at Pueblo Del Sol, La-Sky said.

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