Two businesses were completely destroyed and five others damaged when an eastside strip mall caught fire early Friday morning. Firefighters from three departments responded to the blaze which is currently under investigation. There were no reported injuries.
Fire dispatchers received a call from a corner gas station at 2:29 a.m. that a flower shop in the Town Square strip mall at 925 N. Pecos Rd was on fire. When firefighters arrived at the one story wood frame/stucco structure which has 18 businesses, heavy flames were blowing out the front window of Danaly's Flower Shop which is located at the end of the complex. Fire was already spreading to a cellular store next door so a second alarm was requested. Evidentially it was upgraded to a third alarm which brought 27 units with 75 firefighters from Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Clark County to the scene. It took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.
A passer-by ran into the 7-11 on the corner of Washington and Pecos and told the attendant that there was a store on fire in the strip mall. The clerk called 9-1-1. Several more calls were called in within minutes. A few people reported hearing an explosion at the beginning of the fire. Firefighters were aware that a tank of helium was in the unit that was on fire.
The complex consists of 18 businesses. Two were completely destroyed, three had moderate smoke and heat damage and two had minor smoke damage. Damage was estimated at $500,000.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, under investigation. There were no reported injuries.
