Two people are dead following an early morning two-vehicle collision Aug. 26 on U.S. Highway 95 just north of Beatty.
Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief Scott Lewis said members of Beatty’s Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene involving two semi trucks.
“Upon arrival, they found the accident as described where two semis side-swiped each other,” Lewis said. “Their scene investigation revealed that two individuals had not survived the injuries sustained in the accident. In the second semi, the driver was uninjured. Crews maintained the scene. The investigation was completed by NHP, at which point the Beatty Volunteer Fire Department was permitted to recover the deceased, and they completed that without incident. The roadway was closed for numerous hours.”
Brush fire causes power outage
On Thursday Aug. 27, fire crews were dispatched for a report of a large brush fire in the area of Joy Lane and Linda Street at approximately 3:25 p.m.
“Crews arrived on location to find at least a third-acre mixed fuels brush fire,” Lewis said. “The scene hazards included a compromised power pole with a drooping power line and a power transformer that was hanging precariously from the pole. A safety area was created around that hazard.”
Lewis went on to say that the fire extended by way of “spot fires” to the north of the property, which threatened an RV park.
“Crews were then split with one crew extinguishing the spot fire, and the additional brush units were assigned to the primary body of fire,” he said. “The fire was quickly controlled with no injuries. Crews from Valley Electric Association secured the power pole and replaced the appropriate equipment.There were approximately 20 meters that were out of service during the repairs to the lines. The power was out for about two hours. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and is undetermined at this point.”
Burn victim dies
As crews were suppressing that fire, they were also dispatched for a report of a burn victim who presented at a local medical facility.
“Our EMS responded, where they found an individual who had sustained serious burns as a result of what was deemed as an unauthorized controlled burn on the south end of the valley,” Lewis noted. “Engine One was in the process of refilling for the primary incident and they were redirected and it was determined that the burn victim was attempting to complete an unauthorized controlled burn on a property used as a landscaping lot.”
Additionally, Lewis said that it was learned that the patient introduced gasoline to the controlled burn which caused a vapor explosion, severely burning the individual.
“That patient was transported immediately to Mercy Air Base 21 and was flown to the UMC Burn Center in Las Vegas, where the patient did not survive his injuries and passed away,” he said. “The fire is under investigation by Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services with notification made to the state fire marshal’s office.”
Regarding the challenges of handling both calls simultaneously, Lewis noted the crews performed admirably.
“Crews managed to handle both service calls because the initial call was toward the tail end of it, so there were no immediate issues,” he said. “The engine company that went for the investigation was actually assigned to the spot fires and had extinguished those, and they were assigned to a follow-up ember patrol, so their assignment was pretty much at its conclusion when they were redirected. We also had additional resources on the primary call.”
Large brush fire
On Aug. 28, fire crews were dispatched for a report of a large brush fire along the 1400 block of Curtis Street at approximately 3:54 p.m.
“Crews arrived on location to find an approximate one-quarter to one-third acre mixed-fuel brush fire with flame lengths exceeding 20 to 30 feet in the air,” he said. “There were no immediate structure exposures, thus crews commenced a fire attack and quickly knocked down the fire without incident. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is suspect in nature and under investigation.”
Explosion sends man to hospital
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, crews were dispatched for a report of a burn victim along the 4900 block of East Paiute Boulevard at approximately 3:50 p.m.
“Crews arrived to find the incident as described. The investigation revealed a vapor explosion from the introduction of gasoline vapors to an ignited cigarette. The flash fire caused injuries to an individual who was transported to the local hospital. There was no damage to the structure, but the fire did extend to the outside ground cover and was quickly extinguished prior to the fire department’s arrival.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes