LAS VEGAS (AP) - Fire officials say a blaze broke out in a vacant house in Las Vegas where a squatter was stealing electricity from neighbors.
No one was injured, but the blaze caused extensive damage.
Firefighters arrived Thursday morning and found heavy flames in the garage. Police say they have responded to other complaints at the house over the past four months.
Las Vegas Fire and Rescue spokesman Timothy R. Szymanski (zim-ANN'-skee) said garden hoses and electrical cords were running from the house to neighboring homes. Neighbors told authorities the house was in foreclosure, and there was a for sale sign in front of the home.
Szymanski said house fires caused by squatters are common in foreclosed Las Vegas homes. They are usually accidental fires caused by cooking attempts or cigarettes.
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