A fire that nearly destroyed half of an East Las Vegas shopping center has been ruled accidental by fire investigators. No one was injured during the event.
Firefighters responded to the Stewart Square Shopping Center, which is located on the corner of Eastern and Stewart Avenues, at 9:39 a.m. today, January 24. When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke was showing from the roof of the one-story wood frame/stucco shopping center that was built in 1973. The shopping center has 22 businesses in it. Because the smoke was so intense, a second alarm was requested.
Shortly after arrival, firefighters gained access to the roof with one of the ladder trucks and could see fire intensifying in the attic of the building. A third alarm was then requested to bring additional fire engines and firefighters to the scene. The fire was in the middle of the shopping center, working its way in both directions. Firefighters' first priority was to keep the fire from spreading. Once that was accomplished, firefighters using ladder pipes and hose streams worked on the main fire. It took firefighters about 90 minutes to bring the fire under control.
Seven businesses were totally destroyed by the fire, four had extensive damage. The remainder of the businesses had varying degrees of damage, from smoke to very little or none. Damage from the fire is estimated at $1.2 million.
Fire investigators determined that workers were using a torch on the roof to install a kitchen exhaust duct for one of the restaurants in the center. The fire started in the attic and spread laterally across the center of the building. The fire was stopped by fire walls on each end.
Thirty pieces of fire equipment responded to the blaze and nearly 100 firefighters. Firefighters are expected to remain on scene for several hours dousing hot spots inside the wreckage.
