Massive Fire Destroys Las Vegas Strip Mall Near UNLV
A massive fire broke out early Friday morning near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas—completely destroying a two-story commercial building and taking down at least eight businesses, including a U.S. Postal Service location. It all started around 8:12 a.m., when thick black smoke was seen billowing into the sky from a shopping plaza on Maryland Parkway, just north of Tropicana Avenue. The smoke was visible from miles away and quickly caught the attention of both residents and students nearby.
Firefighters were on scene within minutes and encountered heavy flames already coming through the roof. Crews quickly escalated the response, calling in a third alarm and focusing efforts on stopping the fire from spreading to neighboring structures. Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assisted with evacuations and kept crowds and traffic under control as firefighters worked through the blaze.
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By mid-morning, parts of the building had already collapsed—including sections of the roof—and the remaining structure was deemed unstable. Fortunately, most of the businesses were closed at the time, and no injuries were reported. Senior Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Touchstone explained that the building didn’t appear to have a sprinkler system, likely due to being built before such systems were mandated by code, which may have contributed to how fast the flames spread.
Among the businesses lost in the fire was the University Station Post Office. USPS confirmed the branch was completely destroyed. Any mail not picked up prior to the fire was lost, and postal services have been temporarily relocated to the Paradise Valley Post Office. Those affected are being advised to call USPS or file a claim if their mail or packages were insured.
Because the post office was a federal facility, an investigation involving federal agencies is now expected. Fire investigators are still working to determine how the fire started, but as of the last update, the fire was mostly contained.
UNLV officials reassured the public that the campus was not in danger at any point, and by noon, traffic was allowed to resume along Maryland Parkway. While no lives were lost, the damage to the businesses and the disruption caused to services is significant—and the community will be feeling the impact for days, if not weeks, to come.
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