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March 29, 2024 6:10 am
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Shop Building Destroyed By Fire In Moapa

By CHARLENE PAUL

Moapa Valley Progress

Black smoke billows from a large metal shop building in Moapa during a major fire that destroyed the building and threatened to spread into a brush fire in the neighborhood. PHOTO BY CHARLENE PAUL/Moapa Valley Progress.

A fire that was ignited by an errant spark from a grinder, destroyed a free-standing metal shop in Moapa on Monday, July 1 at around 5:00 pm. The fire spewed thick, black smoke into the sky over Moapa and quickly spread to nearby brush in the area..

“I was sitting in the car waiting for my daughter and her kids when my grandson noticed black smoke to the east of us,” said eye witness Ken Paul. “I looked over and saw Bill Pulsipher grab a hose as he desperately tried to put out the fire.”

As Paul ran from his vehicle toward the fire, he said he also called 911.
“My heart sank as I realized a garden hose was not going to contain it,” Paul said.

The first emergency vehicle on scene was a fire tender from the Moapa fire station #72. Volunteer firefighters positioned their vehicle and began spraying water onto the fire in the main structure. Other units from Overton station #74 and Logandale Station #73 soon arrived and firefighters were soon working in unison to contain the fire.

“I called for back-up from North Las Vegas and Clark County,” said Moapa Valley Fire District Chief Steven Neel. “This was a large fire and our people needed breaks so that fatigue didn’t become a factor.”

Since the property is adjacent to federal open land, two BLM helicopters and two BLM fire trucks were also dispatched to the scene.

The blaze was brought under control relatively quickly. But it was a much bigger job to manage all of the lingering hot spots. For that, firefighters stayed on the scene until late into the night. Neel said that his crews didn’t leave the scene until early Tuesday morning, July 2 at around 2:00 a.m.

“We lined up people to watch for hot spots throughout the night in two-hour shifts,” Neel said. “If a hot spot were to ignite during the night when no one was around, it could have spread to adjacent houses and buildings and put lives in danger.”

At around noon on Tuesday, Station 74 responded to a call that fire had again broken out at the Moapa site. Firefighters rushed again to the scene and were there for approximately three more hours until they were confident that it had been contained and fully extinguished.

No one was injured in the blaze, but Pulsipher’s shop was completely destroyed, as well as a nearby power pole.
“We want people to understand just how quickly fire can spread,” Neel said. “Don’t put yourselves in danger trying to save a structure. Get out and stay safe. Let us do our jobs. Buildings can be replaced.”

Neel added that with fire season in full swing, being fire conscious cannot be overstated. Be sure all towing chains are tightly secured, remove overgrowth and be mindful of lighting fireworks on windy days.

“We just want everyone to be safe,” Neel said.

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