One apartment was heavily damaged and seven people were temporarily displaced after an apartment fire early Saturday morning. One person suffered minor smoke inhalation from the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting two occupants with belongings.
Fire dispatchers received numerous calls at 12:11 a.m. that an apartment at the Allanza at the Lake Apartments on the corner of Durango Drive and Starboard Drive was on fire. Heavy flames were coming out an upstairs window of the two-story wood frame/stucco apartment building that faces Durango Drive. Many drivers passing by called 9-1-1 to report the fire. Firefighters arrived a few minutes later and found one upstairs unit heavily involved with fire, so a second alarm was dispatched to assist with the extinguishment. The fire was brought under control in approximately ten minutes.
One unit was heavily damaged by the fire, another upstairs apartment had minor damage from heat and smoke, and two downstairs units had minor smoke odor and slight water damage. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
Two adults live in the unit that caught fire. One was home asleep and the other occupant was not at home at the time of the fire. The one at home told fire investigators he woke to his pet cat meowing and noticed smoke in the apartment. He got up to investigate and found fire in one of the rooms in the apartment. He called 9-1-1 from the apartment and was starting to be overcome by smoke as dispatchers told him to immediately leave the building. He said he did not remember hearing any smoke alarms during the fire. He suffered from slight smoke inhalation, but refused medical treatment. The exact cause of the fire is undetermined.
The two occupants were being moved to another apartment. Six adults and one infant will be sleeping elsewhere tonight. The American Red Cross and Las Vegas Fire Foundation provided assistance to those who needed it. Housing was not an issue.