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March 28, 2024

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Small brush fire in south valley blamed on smoking materials

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A small brush fire in the southern valley this morning apparently was caused by a homeless man who was careless while smoking, officials said.

The Clark County Fire Department was called about 11:15 a.m. to an area near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Wigwam Avenue, just east of Interstate 15.

Firefighters found a brush and grass fire in the area between Budget Suites and a strip mall, but quickly were able to contain the blaze and keep it away from businesses, county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.

The fire burned less than an acre.

“It could have been a lot worse given the close proximity to those businesses,” Welling said.

Officials believe the fire was caused by smoking materials from a homeless man, who was being questioned by Nevada Highway Patrol troopers at the scene, Welling said.

This time of year’s dry and windy conditions make smoking especially dangerous and the fire highlights the need for people to be careful in safely discarding cigarette butts, matches and lighters, Welling said.

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