Las Vegas Blaze Started in Apartments Hollow Space

Fire investigators know where a three-alarm blaze started before it badly damaged a 16-unit apartment building in northwest Las Vegas.

But they don’t know yet how it started.

Fire spokesman Tim Szymanski said Friday the fire started a little before 6:30 p.m. Thursday in a hollow chimney-like structure and quickly spread up to the attic of the two-story apartment building near Smoke Ranch Road and Jones Boulevard.

Szymanski says 25 people escaped, but it took three hours and more than 100 firefighters to bring the wind-whipped blaze under control.

The attic and eight upstairs apartments were destroyed. Downstairs units were also damaged, but some belongings were salvageable.

Damage is estimated at $750,000.

The American Red Cross is helping residents find another place to stay.