Fire chases woman, 7 cats from eastern valley duplex

By Dave Toplikar

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 | 3:31 p.m.

A 60-year-old woman and her seven cats escaped injury Tuesday afternoon as smoke swept through their duplex in the eastern Las Vegas.

Clark County firefighters were called about 1:46 p.m. to a duplex at 1918 Citroen St., near South Nellis Boulevard and East Sahara Avenue.

Flames and smoke were visible from the dining and living area of one of the residential units when firefighters arrived, said Erik Newman, deputy fire chief.

However, no one was living in that side of the duplex, Newman said. The woman with the cats was living on the other side and had to leave because of the smoke, Newman said.

Firefighters were able to locate four of the cats, but the other three scattered through the neighborhood, he said.

The woman will not be able to return to her home because of the heavy smoke damage, Freeman said. The Red Cross is assisting the woman in finding hotel accommodations.

Newman said investigators have not had a chance to determine the fire’s cause. Although the unit where the fire started was officially vacant, there might have been a squatter living there, he said.

Because of the smoke, the nearby Cyril Wengert Elementary School was evacuated for a short period of time, according to Melinda Malone, a school district spokewoman. The approximately 634 students were taken out of the school building for about 20 minutes.

Metro Police were also called to investigate reports of the sounds of gunshots at the fire, said Officer Bill Cassell, a Metro Police spokesman. However, officers determined there were no gunshots and someone had just heard sounds emanating from the fire, Cassell said.