The blaze Thursday night in southeast Las Vegas quickly spread throughout the sprawling construction site, sending flames hundreds of feet into the air. There were no injuries.
``It's one of the largest structure fires I've ever seen,'' said Clark County fire spokesman Bob Leinbach, estimating the cost of damages at $10 million to $15 million.
About 100 firefighters battled the flames for more than two hours before they could bring it under control. The fire could be seen for miles, and forced authorities to shut down roads and a portion of the Las Vegas Beltway.
Firefighters managed to save several buildings at the Firenze apartment complex and prevented the blaze from destroying nearby homes.
A sign outside the property noted that the apartments, which stretched across at least two city blocks and were in various stages of construction, were being built by Ovation Development.
Two houses adjacent to the development sustained minor damage after their attics caught fire.
Authorities said about 60 residents living close to the fire were evacuated. They gathered at the Central Christian Church several blocks away.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
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