Man Hospitalized After Fatal Las Vegas Fire Suing Building Owner

A 48-year-old man hospitalized since December after being injured in a downtown Las Vegas apartment fire that killed six people is the latest person to sue the building’s owner and others for negligence.

Christian Spangler suffered “significant and severe” burns and brain injuries in the Alpine Apartments fire, his lawyer, Robert Murdock, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The civil lawsuit was filed in June by Spangler’s public guardian, Karen Kelly. It seeks unspecified damages greater than $15,000 from building owner Adolfo Orozco, his company, Las Vegas Dragon Hotel, and several electronics and alarm companies.

Orozco’s attorney, Steven Jaffe, didn’t immediately respond to messages. Jaffe represents Orozco in two previous similar negligence lawsuits filed in January and May.

Authorities said the Dec. 21 fire apparently started before dawn around a stove in a first-floor apartment after a night with outdoor temperatures in the 40s. Some residents reported using kitchen stoves to stay warm because the building lacked heat.

Officials said about 50 people lived at the 41-unit former motel built in 1972.

City fire and code enforcement reports listed alarm system defects, fire doors that did not close properly and security bars that lacked emergency releases.

The fire was the deadliest in Las Vegas since 1980.