Fires cause minor damage at casino, grade school

Fires on the roof of a Henderson casino and a Las Vegas elementary school caused more concern than damage Tuesday morning.

More than 700 students and 100 school employees were evacuated from the John S. Park Elementary School, 931 Franklin Ave., near Charleston and 10th Street, for about 30 minutes after a fire of unknown origin was discovered by a school janitor.

The fire caused an estimated $1,000 in damage, according to a spokesman for the Las Vegas Fire Department. There were no injuries.

At the Reserve hotel-casino, 777 W. Lake Mead Drive, two workers had to be helped from the roof after a welder's torch sparked a small fire in a tower over the main casino.

A Henderson firefighter was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital for smoke inhalation, Division Chief Robert Maroney said.

The fire at Park Elementary School was reported about 9:30 a.m.

When firefighters arrived, they found a small fire and black smoke coming from the roof of the one-story concrete block building, which contains an office, multi-purpose room and the cafeteria for the school.

There was no damage to the interior of the school, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Maroney said the casino fire was extinguished within minutes after firefighters arrived after being called about 10:15 a.m.

Maroney said sparks from a welding torch apparently fell 30 feet inside a tower and ignited cardboard boxes and other debris.

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