Vegas Hotel Fire Prompts Evacuations

Blaze At Monte Carlo Hotel-Casino Forces Guests, Gamblers To Flee; No Major Injuries Reported

(CBS/AP)  A fire on the roof of the Monte Carlo hotel-casino forced guests and gamblers to flee and sent a plume of smoke above the Las Vegas Strip, hotel officials said.

The three-alarm fire is out and hotel guests have been evacuated to the MGM Grand Garden, reports CBS affiliate KLAS-TV. The casino is closed.

No major injuries were reported, said Clark County spokesman Eric Pappa.

The fire, which was reported around 11 a.m., halted gambling at the casino as it spread from the center of the building across the roof. Fiery debris fell to the street below, and orange flames lapped at the casino's script sign.

Officials went door-to-door evacuating the hotel, said Gordon Absher, a spokesman for the resort's owner, MGM Mirage Inc.

Guests told KLAS-TV that people were shocked when they saw the smoke and heard fire alarms but the evacuation went smoothly.

Larry Wappel, 25, of San Pierre, Ind., said he and his brother, Eric Wappel, were in a room on the 30th floor when they heard housekeeping staff banging on doors and yelling "Fire, get out!" He said it took about 10 minutes to walk single-file down the stairs to get to ground level.

"There were a couple of ladies crying, but it was pretty calm," he said.

Another guest, Renza Badilla, 45, said she exited through the hotel kitchen to find burning debris and embers falling from the roof.

"I think people were shocked when they saw the smoke," said Badilla, who said she was in the buffet on the main casino level when fire alarms sounded.

Investigators were trying to determine whether the fire had simply burned the resort's facade or penetrated rooms in the upper floors, which contain suites. Guests were being taken the MGM Grand Garden Arena and employees were evacuated to the adjacent New York-New York hotel, Absher said.

There are reports that welders were working on the roof of the hotel, but the cause of the fire is not officially determined yet, reports KLAS-TV.

Huge crowds formed to watch the fire, and traffic on the Las Vegas Strip was gridlocked as streets were blocked off around the hotel.

The nearby resorts, Bellagio and New York New York were not evacuated.

The Monte Carlo Resort & Casino has 3,002 guest rooms and 211 suites. The resort, located on Las Vegas Boulevard, near Tropicana Avenue, opened in June 1996.

The 32-story casino-hotel modeled after the Place du Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco, was a joint venture between Steve Wynn's Mirage Resorts and Circus Circus Enterprises.

[martublade]

http://niconotnow.blogspot.com/

[meinnv]

For any one interested in the 1980 MGM Grand [Bally''s] fire...

http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/Public_communications/news_releases/080125_montecarlo.htm


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Grand_Hotel_fire


http://fire.co.clark.nv.us/(S(wtcmxiektytdzo55lthok155))/MGM.aspx

[meinnv]

After the 1980 MGM Grand (now Bally''s) fire and the subsequent 1981 Hilton fire; there were some strict codes enacted.

That is the reason the Monte Carlo fire was not nearly as devastating.

Here is another link....

http://www.co.clark.nv.us/fire/mgm_doc.htm

[meinnv]

I''''m surprised it only went to 3 alarms, given the history of Las Vegas (Clark Couty) Fire Dept. and their luck with casino fires. Remember the MGM Grand back on the morning of November 21, 1980. There were 87 deaths in total, including three as a result of injuries sustained in the fire, and 785 additional injuries.

Posted by texassteven at 05:45 PM : Jan 25, 2008

Yes, that fire was devastating, and one of the main reasons was that t the time, Nevada had no requirements for sprinklers or other safety measures for high-rise buildings and there were also no smoke detectors.

Read this.....

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/25/mgm-fire-changed-safety/

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by mo005 at 04:49 PM :

Koool.
Have fun in Vegas.
I''m not much for gambling but it''s still a fun place.
Life is good.

[mo005]

rushlimpdrug: Yeah yer right, Long day and read yours as pickin on me. Sorry no call for being cold. Just trying to find out how it is in vegas from people that have been there. Wish me luck, and hope I don''t get burned . Couldn''t leave without one pun.

[Krazcarl]

rushlimpdrug....I saw that as a little cold myself. Never been th Nevada gambling was never a vice one of the few.

[rushlimpdrug]

rushlimpdrug: Thanks for the hot tip, now get back up in hillarys lap where you belong. and let the grown ups talk.
Posted by mo005 at 06:27 PM

Gee, we''re a little grumpy azz aren''t we.
This is probably why it is your FIRST time to visit Vegas and you MUST ask for advice from a poster.
Vegas is a fun place, with your comment you''ll be better off staying home.

[Krazcarl]

trenticus...I see you don''t know why respond you lonely I''m straight.

[trenticus-2009]

I''''m sure there were some women who ran back into their rooms to rescue their cellphone from the fire.

Posted by Keithle1

NO, NO, No, no... The question is how many ran back to their rooms to get their make-up bag and purse!
See when most women go in to a casino they leave the purse and make-up bag in the hotel room and only take their ID and cash/credit card.... The cell phone is already on them unless they DON''T want to get caught by the hubby blowing the family savings.