Lawsuit Filed After Six People Found Dead in Vegas Fire

LAS VEGAS — The sister-in-law of one of six residents found dead after a Las Vegas apartment building fire filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against the property owner, who officials say had been been cited in the past over missing smoke alarms and an emergency exit that was bolted shut.

The suit filed by attorneys for Deborah Cihal Crawford, next-of-kin of victim Tracy Ann Cihal, is the first after the Dec. 21 fire that also injured 13 people at the aging Alpine Motel Apartments. Fire officials said people jumped from third-story windows to escape thick smoke.

The nursing home residents “were at increased risk of injury or death during a fire or other emergency,” the report concluded.

Residents at the downtown site had complained about substandard conditions, and told firefighters they used kitchen stoves to stay warm because the building lacked heat.