LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities say a vacant Las Vegas home that had apparently been taken over by squatters went up in flames overnight.
Firefighters who responded to the home on Las Verdes Street a little before 10 p.m. Tuesday say flames were so intense that they had to fight the blaze from outside before they could get in.
No injuries were reported, although crews say a cat perished in the fire. Damage is estimated at $100,000.
Las Vegas fire spokesman Tim Szymanski says the inside of the home was filled with trash and debris apparently left over from squatters.
The house had been locked and boarded up for more than a year, but neighbors reported people frequently came and went from it.
Szymanski says squatters cooking or smoking may be to blame.
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