Condition of DMV records unclear after fire that shuttered Pahrump bureau

It remains uncertain when the Pahrump DMV office will reopen — or what condition its physical records are in — following a fire there on July 26 that’s believed to have started in the attic.

Pahrump Valley Fire & Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis told the Pahrump Valley Times that crews were dispatched to a commercial structure fire at 1780 East Basin Ave. at approximately 11:20 a.m. on Friday, when dispatchers relayed that smoke was showing from columns that were part of the overhang at the building’s front entrance.

“Crews arrived to the location within minutes and confirmed there was light smoke showing from several columns in the ceiling area, he said. “It was determined that there was a fire in the attic space above the main entrance.”

Serious challenges

The fire, Lewis said, was located just above the sprinkler suppression system, which prevented the system from being activated.

Crews utilized the department’s ladder truck along with ground ladders to access points in order to expose the hidden fire.

“The fire was placed under control about 30 minutes after our arrival,” he said. “There were no life-safety issues attached, however, one civilian experienced a medical episode while in the parking lot where they were assessed by Medic One, but decided to have further medical treatment.”

The wait

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles Public Information Officer Hailey Foster told the Pahrump Valley Times that officials are in the process of determining exactly when the Pahrump DMV location will reopen.

“We are in works of figuring out a date for that,” Foster said. “We want to say hopefully in less than a month. Hopefully, we should also have news of that coming very soon.”

Foster spoke about the physical condition of records and other vital information at the location in the wake of the fire.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out right now at this point,” Foster said. “I don’t think any records were destroyed, and luckily, all of our employees and customers were safe, so there were no injuries reported and we are all grateful for that. But again, we’re still figuring out exactly how extensive the damages are, so we’ll have updates to follow with that.”

One alternative

Foster also reminded Pahrump residents they can still conduct and complete DMV transactions online.

“We highly encourage people to go online if they can because there are so many services online where they don’t even need a trip to the DMV, which is great,” she said. “Actually, a lot of people that visit our offices can do what they came in the office to do, in person, online, so the No. 1 thing to do is check to see if your transaction is available online. If not, we are offering walk-in appointments to Pahrump residents at any one of our metro offices in Las Vegas, Monday through Friday. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for their services.”

Investigation underway

Chief Lewis said that a state agency was summoned to investigate the exact cause of the fire.

“Because it’s occupied by a state entity, the Deputy State Fire Marshal responded from Las Vegas and is conducting the investigation,” he noted. “There’s no definite intentional act.”

For additional information or questions about Pahrump DMV services call (702) 486-4368, or login to www.dmv.nv.gov.

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