Fire destroys west Las Vegas Valley auto shop, 16 vehicles
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LAS VEGAS (KVVU) — A west valley auto shop is a total loss after a fire Wednesday night, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue said.
Spokesman Tim Szymanski said the Econo Lube ‘N’ Tube at 4701 Meadows Lane, near Decatur Avenue, caught fire when auto mechanics were removing a fuel tank from a vehicle. In the process, the tank caught fire. The workers tried to put out the fire with extinguishers, but it was too intense.
Within minutes, the inside of the shop was on fire.
When Las Vegas firefighters arrived, about 4:45 p.m. on December 30, the shop was fully engulfed in flames. The fire intensified, spreading to a dozen vehicles in the parking lot via flowing gasoline.
“Smoke from the intense fire could be seen from any location in the Las Vegas Valley. Although tires were involved, a large amount of flammable liquids including gasoline contributed to the intense fire,” Szymanski said in a media release.
Firefighters — including 30 pieces of equipment and 75 personnel — put out the blaze in 30 minutes, then worked on hot spots. Two people reported minor injuries and were treated on scene.
A total of about 16 vehicles were destroyed in the fire, along with the total loss of the shop. Szymanski said the damage was estimated at $1 million.
As of 9:15 p.m., fire officials said they expected to remain on scene for several hours to keep an eye on possible flare-ups.
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