Now that the summer heat has abated somewhat, many valley residents are starting to hold more parties and gatherings at their homes. That’s because the weather is becoming more conducive to sitting outdoors and/or on porches and conversing with friends and family members. Unfortunately, one such party ended in tragedy last weekend.

On Saturday morning around 11am, around 12 to 15 people were at a house on Reeder Circle, which is just south of UNLV near the intersection of Hacienda Avenue and Maryland Parkway. Some of the partygoers were on an enclosed porch in which there was a deep fryer over an open flame. Someone accidentally knocked over the deep fryer, and the oil inside it was ignited by the flame.

The fire spread quickly through the house and attic. Two children and two adults suffered substantial burns in the blaze and had to be hospitalized. The children sustained critical injuries – but a 41-year old Henderson man died from his burns at University Medical Center.

It’s unclear who knocked over the deep fryer that started the fire. But what is known is that the man who died did not live at the residence. Because the 41-year old died in someone else’s private home, his surviving family members have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the home (assuming the home does not belong to the parent or a child of the deceased).

Nevada law states that homeowners are responsible for the safety of those who are on their property. If an investigation determines the identity of the person who caused the fire, then he or she could also be named as a defendant in the wrongful death lawsuit.