No injuries in fire in downtown Las Vegas Arts District
A fire in a vacant building that closed a major intersection in the Arts District was put out about 10 p.m. Tuesday, the Las Vegas Fire Department said. No injuries were reported.
Fire crews received calls about 8:20 p.m. from bystanders and Metropolitan Police Department officers about a fire at Charleston Boulevard and Main Street, east of Interstate 15. Firefighters found a two-story building with heavy fire and smoke pouring from the roof, department spokesman Tim Szymanski said at the scene.
After the fire was put out, the intersection remained closed as crews continued to search for hot spots in the building. The large marquee letters on the front of the building have been mostly removed, with the few left appearing to spell “Do Art.”
Szymanski said fire inspectors believe homeless people may have been living in the building; others in the area told fire crews that everyone got out safely.
He said the calm night made it hard for firefighters to work, as the thick smoke stayed close to the ground and obstructed their breathing and vision.
“Usually in Las Vegas it’s windy, and the wind helps us and it dissipates (the smoke),” Szymanski said.
Firefighters are entering what I like to call the “do art” building at Main St and Charleston. #RJnow pic.twitter.com/P1iDbEw9gK
— Katelyn Newberg (@k_newberg) August 21, 2019
I’m at the scene of a fire in an abandoned building in downtown’s Art District. #RJnow pic.twitter.com/f3nh4e0e7D
— Katelyn Newberg (@k_newberg) August 21, 2019
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. follow @k_newberg on Twitter.