Firefighters battle 3-alarm blaze at Kmart building in east Las Vegas

By Jeff Burbank Las Vegas Review-Journal

2 years ago

A firefighter looks to flames as Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Black smoke rises into the sky as Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

A masked bicycle rider looks on close by as Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Onlookers watch as black smoke and flames rise into the sky while Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Black smoke and flames rise into the sky as Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Las Vegas and Clark County Fire works a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

A masked bicycle rider rides close by as Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Las Vegas and Clark County Firefighters work a fully involved former Kmart store at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire that engulfed a vacant Kmart store building, a Clark County fire official said Saturday.

The Las Vegas Fire Department received the call about the blaze at 3 p.m. at 2975 E. Sahara Ave. near McLeod Street, and 30 units had arrived just before 4 p.m., according to Clark County Fire Department Assistant Chief Scott Carnahan.

The entire building was on fire as firefighters took a defensive posture outside, Carnahan said.

“There’s too much danger to going inside the building,” he said.

City of Las Vegas spokesman Jace Radke said the building was vacant.

Carnahan said the fire went to three alarms, and there was a partial collapse of the roof. No one was reported injured, and there were no immediate details on how the fire started or estimate of damage.

In an update Saturday evening Carnahan said the building was unstable.

“Building officials and public works have been requested for evaluation and the Parks Department is providing fencing to the area for security,” he said in an email.

Crews from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire Department and North Las Vegas Fire Department responded to the fire. Las Vegas police also assisted with drone support and traffic control.

A thick smoke plume could be seen across the valley.

Contact Jeff Burbank at jburbank@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0382. Follow him @JeffBurbank2 on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer David Wilson contributed to this report.