This is a brief overview of newsworthy events during 2008. During the year six people died in fires compared to eight in 2007.
A new fire chief, Greg Gammon, was appointed by the Mayor and City Council, a new fire station was placed into service and the department responded to several more incidents than in 2007.
The fire chief appointed a new Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal. Robert K. Bell, an Assistant Fire Protection Engineer for LVFR was selected to fill the vacancy in May after the previous Deputy Fire Chief/ Fire Marshal Eugene Campbell accepted a position with the Dallas Texas Fire Department.
45 local residents graduated from the ninth annual Citizens Fire Academy in May.
16 fire recruits graduated from the Las Vegas Fire Academy as firefighters in March.
A new information tool, “The Daily Report” is disseminated to fire department personnel, city officials and the media beginning on February 1. The report has been sent out every morning including weekends and holidays.
Other newsworthy events:
January 8 – Candle fire causes $100,000 damage and a dog died in a house fire on Bruce Street.
January 9 – Greg Gammon is appointed fire chief by the Las Vegas City Council.
January 15 – 2-Alarm fire does $50,000 damage to an estimated $3 million home in The Lakes part of the city. Occupants of the home reported they had problems with electric wiring in the new home.
January 16 – A cooking fire caused an estimated $200,000 damage to the Desert Rose Apartments on North 28th Street. Four people were injured and several people were rescued by neighbors and firefighters during the fast moving fire. 12 people were displaced by the fire.
January 25 – Several LVFR units respond to a fire at the Monte Carlo Hotel on the Strip.
January 27 – 2-Alarm fire at the Westlake Center shopping center on West Sahara Avenue does $30,000 damage. The fire, which started during a rain storm, was believed to be electrical in origin. Only one business was affected.
January 28 - Improper storage of materials starts a fire in a utility room at the hi-rise One Queensridge Place condo building on West Alta Drive. An automatic sprinkler put out the fire, damage was limited to $1000.
January 28 – An automatic sprinkler put out a fire in the theatre at Century Rancho Santa Fe Theatre on North Rancho Drive. Damage was limited to $30,000. Cause of the fire was suspicious.
January 29 – Fatal fire A 49 year old man died in a motor home fire behind a residence at 415 South 17th Street. The man was living in the motor home as a rented residence. An improper extension cord used to supply electricity to the motor home was believed to be the cause of the fire.
January 29 – 2-Alarm fire in a vacant building on South Martin L. King Blvd which was once Carl’s Donuts. The fire did $100,000 damage. Possible homeless people staying in the building is believe to be the cause of the fire.
February 8 – Fatal fire A 43 year old man was found burning outside his pickup truck parked in a parking lot on Valley View Blvd and Alta Dr. He died on March 8 in the burn unit at UMC. Careless smoking is believed to be the cause of the fire. There was minimal damage to the pick up truck.
February 9 – Candle starts a fire in a house on Hassel Ave that displaces four people and causes $40,000 damage.
March 6 – Sixteen fire recruits graduate from the Las Vegas Fire Academy as firefighters in a ceremony held at the East Las Vegas Community Center.
March 6 – A house fire on Gatewood Drive causes $100,000 damage and is ruled arson.
March 8 – The LVFR Bomb Squad dismantles a pipe bomb found in a storage facility on West Bonanza Rd. The device was left in an abandoned storage unit and was found when it was being cleaned out. There were no injuries.
March 11 – A fire in an outbuilding on North 10th St, caused three people to suffer smoke inhalation and caused $5,500 damage. The outbuilding was being used as a residence.
March 12 – An 80 year old woman was pulled from a smoke filled apartment by firefighters at the Plaza Assisted Living Center on West Cheyenne Ave. The woman was taken to UMC suffering from smoke inhalation; the fire was contained because of automatic fire sprinklers. The fire is believed to have started because of careless smoking.
March 20 – A fire that started in the garage of a house on Western Lilly St. caused $170,000 damage to the house and displaced two people.
March 22 – A child playing with a lighter started a fire in a bedroom of an apartment on Alwill St. The fire caused $20,000 damage and displaced three people. There were three injuries.
March 28 – A fire in the kitchen of an apartment at the Lantana Apartments on West Charleston Blvd caused $70,000 and sent one maintenance worker to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
April 2 – An woman who lost control of the car she was driving, struck two houses on Chevoit Court and caused considerable damage to one of the houses.
April 7 – A kitchen fire at the Walker House Apartments on South Valley View Blvd caused $100,000 damage, damaged five units and displaced a number of people.
April 10 – 2-Alarm fire in the men’s athletic locker room at Palo Verde High School. The fire was held by automatic fire sprinklers until firefighters could put small fires out in the contents of the lockers. Damage was estimated at $5000. Students were able to return to school in less than one hour.
April 15 – A fire which started outside in some trash containers, spread to the inside of a house on Ellen Way and caused $150,000 damage.
April 20 – Fatal fire A 56 year old man died in house fire on Walker Street. The fire caused $60,000 damage. Candles may have started the fire in a house which had no utilities connected to it.
April 29 – 2-Alarm fire in two houses on Galveston St. The fire caused $500,000 damage . The cause was undetermined, it started behind one of the houses and spread quickly because of high winds..
April 30 – Children playing with matches started a fire in a house Sam Jonas Dr which caused $75,000 damage and displaced six people.
May 6 – Robert K. Bell was selected to fill the Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal position within the department.
May 6 – 45 local residents graduated from the Citizens Fire Academy.
May 16 – 2-Alarm fire in a house on Hermes Stable Court. No one was home when the fire started. The caused considerable damage. Investigators believed the fire started in the garage.
May 27 – 2-Alarm fire in a vacant bank building on East Bonanza Rd caused $500,000 damage. The cause of the fire was undetermined, several witnesses told investigators that children were seen throwing fireworks off the roof of the building earlier in the day.
May 28 – 2-Alarm fire in a U-Hall facility on South Decatur Blvd caused $275,000. The cause was undetermined, careless smoking could not be ruled out.
June 3 – Fatal fire A 56 year old homeless man died when a fire occurred outside in a make-shift cardboard structure on South Commerce Ave. Careless smoking could not be ruled out as the cause.
June 14 – 2-Alarm fire in the Antioch Church of Las Vegas on Melody Lane caused $275,000 damage. Investigators believe the fire was electrical wiring in origin.
June 15 – Several LVFR units responded to the community of Corn Creek north of the city for a house fire. The house was heavily damaged by the fire.
June 21 – 2-Alarm fire in a house on Fulton Place caused $175,000 damage. A man was seen running from the house just prior to the fire. No injuries.
June 26 – Four teenagers were injured when their car fell off the second story parking deck at the Stratosphere Tower Hotel & Casino.
June 26 – Hotel staff at the Golden Nugget hotel used fire extinguishers to put out burning curtains in a guest room. An ashtray left too close to the curtains started the fire, damage was $500.
June 27 – Media event is held at LVFR Fire Training Center about a donation from Fireman’s Fund Heritage Program for a new fire extinguisher simulator training aid and about fireworks safety.
July 5 – Fireworks are believed to be the cause of a fire that did $25,000 damage to a house on Donald Nelson Avenue. Damage was confined to the outside of the house.
July 5 - Fireworks are believed to be the cause of a fire that did $40,000 damage to a house on Elmhurst Lane. Five people were displaced because of the fire.
July 7 – 2-Alarm fire in a house on Wandering Street due to children playing with a lighter. One adult was also taken to the hospital for burns. Damage was $75,000.
July 10 – 21 golf carts were damaged in a fire at the Los Prados Country Club. The fire may have started because of battery charger. The fire caused $350,000 damage.
July 11 – 2-Alarm fire in a townhouse on El Camino Avenue which caused $150,000 damage. The fire started in a malfunctioning air conditioner on the roof of the condo.
July 24 – Fire destroyed the El Toro Auto Repair shop on Stewart Ave. The fire caused at least $200,000 in damage.
August 13 – A barbecue too close to a house Parsifal Place started the house on fire and caused $65,000 damages.
August 16 – Fatal fire A 21-year-old man died of possible smoke inhalation in a condo on Vast Horizon Ave. The fire caused $5000 damage. Careless smoking could not be ruled out as the cause.
August 17 – A smoke alarm alerted six family members of a family who were asleep when their house caught fire on Rosebank Circle. The fire caused $50,000 damage mostly to the garage.
August 19 – A dumpster fire caused excessive smoke under the Fremont Street Experience dome, the dumpster behind the Golden Gate Hotel.
August 23 - Firefighters rescue a woman from a smoke filled house on El Camino Ave. The fire, which started in the kitchen, did $50,000 damage.
August 23 – PIO Tim Szymanski is awarded the Nevada Broadcasters Association “Community Service Award” and is inducted into their Hall of Fame.
August 26 – Fatal fire An elderly man died after being seriously burned in a fire inside his West Owens Ave. apartment. The fire appears to have started in the kitchen. Damage was $5000.
August 28 – 3-Alarm fire when an aircraft crashes between two houses on N. Jones. Blvd. The pilot died in the crash, one occupant from one of the houses was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Sept 3 – 2-Alarm fire in the Bonanza Nellis Shopping Center did $200,000 damage in three businesses. The fire started in the attic area over the businesses, cause was undetermined.
Sept 8 – 2-Alarm A thunderstorm with frequent lightning caused a number of calls including trees hit by lightning, a number of electrical related calls and lightning possibly started a fire in a restaurant and bar on S. Eastern Avenue.
Sept 11 – The annual tribute of the Ringing of the Bell was held at Fire Station 5 in observance of September 11th.
Sept 25 – An automatic fire sprinkler stopped a fire in the theatre of Palo Verde High School. The fire did $25,000 damage, it appeared to have been electrical in origin. It was the second fire douse by automatic fire sprinklers in the high school this year.
October 5-11 – National Fire Prevention Week was observed in Las Vegas by a number of events including a proclamation from the City Council and open house at all city fire stations.
October 11 – 3-Alarm fire in the Rancho Verde Apartments on S. Martin L. King Blvd appears to have electrical in origin, caused $250,000 damage and displaced 21 people.
October 19 – A Summerlin home on Chambolle Court had $500,000 damage from a fire in a large house that was being renovated.
November 8 – 2-Alarm fire in an apartment on Desert Lane appears to have been electrical in origin and caused $40,000 damage.
November 9 – Three people were injured during a house fire on Plaza de Robles which caused $300,000 damage. The fire started in the bedroom of the house.
November 13 – LVFR gears up for possible labor relations strike at American Medical Response. The department put together a plan which would provide 100% emergency medical services, including emergency transport to medical facilities, in case of the strike. The strike was postponed.
November 20 – 2-Alarm fire in a house at The Lakes on Channel Rock Dr. The fire caused $750,000 damage to the large house. The fire which injured one of the occupants of the house, started in the kitchen at the stove.
November 21 – 3-Alarm fire in the Twin Lakes Shopping Center did $1 million in damages and the fire was ruled arson. There were no injuries.
December 8 – A woman was injured after she was burned because of fire that started because of smoking and the use of medical oxygen. The fire occurred on N. Lamb Blvd.
December 9 – Fire station 48 was placed into service and a grand opening ceremony was held on December 12.
December 23 - Holiday lighting is believe to be the reason a fire started in a house on Carrondale Way. The fire did $100,000.
December 24 – Three people, one critical, were taken to the hospital because of carbon monoxide poisoning in a condo building at the Chateau Versailles on W. Alexander Rd.
December 25 – A Christmas tree fire in a mobile home in the El Adobe Mobile Home Park on N. Lamb Blvd does $45,000 damage. No one was injured.
December 29 – A firefighter is injured and hospitalized during a house fire on Success Court in the northwest part of the city.
