‘WORST FIRE FATALTY’

Las Vegas Apartment Fire Leaves 6 Dead, 13 Injured

Residents told investigators that some people had been using their stoves for warmth because the building lacked heat.

A fire in an apartment building that killed six people and injured 13 others early Saturday morning is being considered the “the worst fire fatality” in Las Vegas Fire Department history, authorities said. Investigators said the fire started from a first-floor unit’s stove, and that residents told them there was no heat in the building. Firefighters arriving at the scene started rescuing and treating people who had jumped, or were hanging from windows, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said. “The first thing that you think of is: We’ve got to rescue those people. A fall of 16 feet or higher can be fatal,” he told the Associated Press. Thirteen people were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation, but victims also had fractures, including one with broken legs and possibly a broken back, Szymanski said. The cause of the fire appeared to be accidental, according to Szymanski. Residents told investigators that some people had been using their stoves for warmth because the building lacked heat, he said.