The roof of the IKEA under construction caught fire Saturday afternoon.
Around 12:15 p.m., Clark County firefighters responded to the building located near South Durango Drive and the 215 Beltway. Upon arrival, crews found smoke and flame coming from the roof.
Panic erupted at the valley's new IKEA store today when a fire broke out on the roof! This all happening just two months from its grand opening in May. I was on the scene as crews fought to get it all under control. -KTNV Channel 13 Action News-
Posted by Michael Burton on Saturday, March 19, 2016
Firefighters then located the fire underneath an air conditioning unit. The fire was extinguished around 12:45 p.m.
The construction crew was on site when the flames erupted. They say it was a hectic scene that all started when a crew member on the roof spotted the fire and panicked.
The construction crew was on site when the flames erupted. They say it was a hectic scene, all starting when a crew member on the roof spotted the fire and panicked! -KTNV Channel 13 Action News-
Posted by Michael Burton on Saturday, March 19, 2016
“He was freaking out,” said construction worker Renilk Pineda. “He was screaming, telling everybody to just leave out of the building."
Firefighters told 13 Action News that the flames burned through a few layers of the roof, but didn't cause major damage to the inside wall.
Crews put the fire out before anyone was hurt. The on-site commander says the flames burned through a few layers, but didn't cause major damage to the inside-wall. -KTNV Channel 13 Action News-
Posted by Michael Burton on Saturday, March 19, 2016
"It was just basically in the roofing material," said commander Jeff Tidwell. "It's foam and then on top of that foam there's a rubber membrane on top of the roof, and that's what actually caught fire."
Construction workers were working on the exterior of the building when someone on the roof shouted, "Fire!" @KTNV pic.twitter.com/bmflGZkEAU
— Michael Burton (@MikeBurtonKTNV) March 19, 2016
BREAKING: CCFD is battling a fire at the new IKEA store set to open early this summer. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/lMaEwsrErr
— Michael Burton (@MikeBurtonKTNV) March 19, 2016
CCFD: Crews located the fire underneath an air conditioning unit. #BREAKING #IKEA pic.twitter.com/mS0vLSVAyv
— Michael Burton (@MikeBurtonKTNV) March 19, 2016
No injuries have been reported. Damages have not been estimated. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
IKEA released a statement around 3:25 p.m. Saturday regarding the fire. They said the store's opening date remains May 18.
"At IKEA, our number one priority is the safety of our coworkers, contractors, customers, and communities where we operate. So, when members of our construction team noticed a rooftop HVAC unit had caught fire earlier today atop our future Las Vegas store, they acted swiftly and proactively to address the situation. As a result, the fire was extinguished in a short time.
"No store coworkers were in the building, and only minimal construction crews were onsite. While local fire authorities will be determining the fire’s exact cause, the building itself remains safe and structurally sound."
