Two residents displaced by fire at apartment complex

By Tovin Lapan

Friday, March 1, 2013 | 9:10 a.m.

An apartment fire in east Las Vegas displaced two seniors and did an estimated $50,000 damage, but nobody was injured, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue officials said.

Las Vegas and Clark County firefighters responded about 10:30 p.m. Thursday to a fire at the Villa Monterey Apartments, near East Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue.

Two “senior adults” live at the unit where the fire broke out, officials said.

“One of them was home watching TV when she heard loud popping noises coming from the patio and then she noticed fire on the patio,” a Las Vegas Fire and Rescue statement said.

“When firefighters arrived on scene, heavy flames and smoke were showing from the patio and living room of one unit in the two story wood frame/stucco building. It took firefighters only a few minutes to bring the fire under control,” the statement said.

The patio area, where investigators say the fire started, was gutted, and the fire also damaged the living room and kitchen, Las Vegas fire officials said. The fire did not spread to other units.

The report noted that the patio “was covered with excess belongings and debris and there were several extension cords being used on the patio,” but the cause of the blaze could not be determined.

The residents were being relocated to another apartment at the complex, according to the report.