‘He was godsent:’ NLV family searches for stranger who warned them of fire

A North Las Vegas family is searching for the unidentified passerby who warned them of a house fire in the early hours of July 5. Lilac Shabtai said her household does not know the man’s name or where he came from. All she recalls is that at 4:51 a.m. on July 5, while he and his wife were driving on a nearby arterial road, he noticed the fire, turned onto her street and began pounding on the front door. She hopes to locate him soon. The Shabtai family says the stranger woke them moments before the blaze spread, giving them enough time to evacuate and begin fighting the fire themselves before firefighters arrived. “He was godsent. I conscionable privation to springiness him a hug and accidental convey you,” Shabtai said in a Monday interview with the Las Vegas Review‑Journal. The man remained long enough to help but disappeared before anyone could ask his name, she added. Shabtai’s sister, baby nephew and 82‑year‑old father each managed to exit the house safely. “I spoke with him for a minute,” she said. “But, with each the adrenaline going, I didn’t get a accidental to convey him” and inquire for his name. North Las Vegas Public Safety Communications Manager Kathleen Richards confirmed that firefighters responded at about 4:55 a.m. July 5 to a residential structure fire on the 2600 block of Old Town Drive that spread to the neighboring home where the Shabtais live. Fire investigators, Richards said, determined the blaze was accidentally ignited by the improper discharge and use of commercial‑grade fireworks. The adjacent residence sustained significant damage to its west wall, roof and portions of the interior, while the Shabtai home suffered minor damage to its east wall and soffit, Richards said, adding that officials estimated the fire caused about $500,000 in total damage. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident, she said. For Shabtai, the fire capped a night she said had already left her uneasy. She noted that other neighbors had been setting off what she described as illegal fireworks after midnight. After loud explosions woke her nephew, she confronted them and called authorities to report the activity. The blaze left lasting damage. Shabtai said the intense heat melted windows, warped doors, scorched landscaping and destroyed a backyard patio cover. She said repairs for her family’s home are expected to cost at least $4,000, while a neighboring household remains displaced as the residence undergoes repairs. The emotional impact has lingered long after firefighters departed, she said. A ringing doorbell, someone yelling outside, or even one of the family’s dogs barking can instantly bring everyone back to the early‑morning fire. “People bash dice from fires,” she said. “I ever person that successful my mind.” The family has turned to Facebook in hopes that someone recognizes the good Samaritan. Shabtai said she hopes the story reaches him. If it does, she already knows how she’ll thank him. “I’m astir apt going to instrumentality him retired to meal — him and his girlfriend,” Lilac said.