Clark County officials say the University Gardens Shopping Center had no fire sprinklers due to its age, complicating efforts to determine the cause of the blaze

By Isaiah Steinberg
Las Vegas Review-Journal

LAS VEGAS — The cause of a large building fire which razed several businesses Friday morning may never be determined, according to a Clark County spokesperson.

The Clark County fire department is still investigating the cause of the inferno, which burned through the two-story portion of the University Gardens Shopping Center at 4632 S. Maryland Pkwy. However, the Building Department condemned the structure, which means that firefighters may never examine the wreckage from inside, spokesperson Christine Crews confirmed in a Monday afternoon email.

“As a result, an undetermined cause is likely to be rendered in this case,” she wrote.

Based on the investigation, the spokesperson said, there were no signs of forced entry, the fire originated inside the building and it did not originate from the U.S. Post Office, one of the tenants which burned down.

The department has not conducted a search for victims, but has received no reports of injuries or missing persons, Crews wrote.

“In this case, it was determined while the fire was actively burning that the conditions were not survivable and therefore firefighters lives were not put in jeopardy for lives that may have already been lost,” she wrote.

The department will complete a report on the fire’s cause within approximately 30 days.

The owner of the shopping center will eventually demolish the two-story portion of the building, which did not contain fire sprinklers because of its age, the spokesperson confirmed.

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