4th of July recap: fires, injuries and fatalities

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Lewis said crews responded to no less than 25 brush fires between 9 p.m. on July 4 through 4 a.m., the following morning.

Just after midnight on July 4, crews were dispatched to a report of a large fire in the area of the 3400 block of North Leslie Street.

“Crews arrived to find a windswept, heavy fuel load fire, with fire showing out of a large hay barn, and several nearby structures,” Lewis said. “The fire was also blowing almost horizontally across the roadway. Crews immediately commenced what’s called a ‘blitz attack,’ which is a large amount of water in a short period of time to knock down the main body of the fires, where they could actually get the hand lines onto the property in order to place water on all of the exposures and also the small stalls and such.”

Lewis noted that the initial report was that there were possibly four people trapped inside one of the structures, but that report ended up unfounded.

“There were also livestock present and they were moved to the opposite side of the fire, without injuries to them,” he said. “The cause of the fire is under investigation and there were no injuries. Crews remained on location for several hours mopping up hot spots after fire was placed under control. This fire occurred in an area without hydrants. There was a vehicle fire where a person had sustained some burn injuries in the area of Petrack Park just west of the arena.”

Severe fireworks injuries sustained

Additionally, Lewis said two teenagers were transported by Mercy Air to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas after a significant fireworks-related event on the dry lake bed where the teens sustained significant injuries to their hands and fingers from the use of fireworks.

Mercy Air response to vehicle crash

On Tuesday, July 5 at approximately 12:33 p.m., fire crews responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 160 and Homestead Road.

“Upon arrival, we found one occupant who was partially, mechanically entrapped,” Lewis said. “Crews worked to get that patient out quickly, and that patient denied any injuries, however one patient who was assisted by bystanders was found to have injuries consistent with trauma requirements. That patient was subsequently packaged and transported to Mercy Air Base 21, and flown to UMC Trauma.”

Fatal vehicle rollover crash

On July 1 at approximately 9:57 p.m., crews were dispatched for a report of a serious motor vehicle accident in the area of Lola Lane and Wilson Road.

“As crews arrived, they found a one-vehicle accident with a rollover type mechanism,” he said. “There were two persons who were ejected from the vehicle, where one had not survived the initial impact and was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Lewis went on to say that there was also a teenager who sustained significant injuries.

“That patient was found over a wall at the residential housing development,” he said. “Due to the injuries sustained, Mercy Air was added to the assignment and that patient was subsequently flown to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas. There was also thought to be a third occupant in that vehicle, but the investigation revealed that the occupant had been dropped off just prior to the accident.”

High-risk vehicle fire

On June 28 at approximately 10:36 a.m., crews were dispatched to a report of a vehicle fire in the area of Barney Street and Highway 372.

“As crews arrived on scene they found a fully-involved pickup truck with an attached utility trailer,” Lewis said. “They completed a scene size-up and risk assessment and found that the truck’s large fuel cell that had been breached, thus we had a significant combustible liquid fire.”

Lewis also said that crews had to bring in additional water due to the fact that the fire occurred in an area without hydrants.

“We also brought in a foam unit, and between the foam and the water, the fire was brought under control despite the flammable liquid aspects,” he said. “The foam actually smothers the fire. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is attributed to mechanical failure.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes