A large fire broke out Friday morning near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus, completely destroying a two-story commercial building and damaging at least eight businesses, officials confirmed.
Smoke from the blaze was visible from a distance, with eyewitnesses saying it appeared to originate close to the UNLV campus, according to Fox5. The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m., and fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames erupting from the building’s roof.
Firefighters quickly escalated the response to a third alarm, focusing their suppression efforts on the structure’s north and south wings. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assisted with evacuations and traffic control in the surrounding area.
Senior Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Touchstone said investigators are still working to determine the exact cause and origin of the fire. Among the affected businesses was a U.S. Postal Service facility located inside the building, which has now been shut down indefinitely.
The USPS stated that all mail left uncollected before the fire was destroyed. Customers are being redirected to the Paradise Valley Post Office for mail pickup until further notice.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported as a result of the blaze. Clark County firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the fire shortly after 9 a.m., according to UNLV officials, who also confirmed there was no threat to the campus itself.
Due to the fire, Maryland Parkway was closed between University Road and Harmon Avenue.
A federal investigation is currently underway into the damage involving the USPS facility.
