For several hours today firefighters battled a three-alarm fire on the roof and upper floors of the
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
CNN says there were no reported injuries.
Check the news sites below for ongoing coverage.
Local News CoverageThe hotel opened in 1996, has 3,002 rooms (including 256 suites) and was once described as "popular elegance,"
according to the Sun.
MGM Grand Hotel FireIn 1980, 85 people died (according to the National Fire Protection Association) when the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas burned. It was the second-worst hotel fire (in terms of fatalities) in U.S. history, according to the
Clark County Fire Department and
TIME magazine.
TIME reported that most of those deaths occurred in the upper floors of the hotel. (The
TIME article was published in 1980, but it's included in the online archives.)
KNPR public radio in Las Vegas has an
extensive retrospective report on the MGM fire, featuring audio interviews with survivors, witnesses and firefighters.
The
Sun points out that today's fire
is the latest in a long line of Vegas hotel blazes.
Background on Hotel Fires
The
National Fire Protection Association has lots of background on hotel fires, including a report on
structure fires in U.S. hotels and motels and a
summary of U.S. hotel fires with 10 or more fatalities.
Surviving a Hotel Fire
Here are tips from
WikiHow, the
U.S. Fire Administration and the
U.S. Naval Safety Center.
The Navy site suggests that travelers pack a flashlight and portable
smoke detector. Does anyone do that? Other suggestions you've probably heard are learning where the exits are on your floor and even counting the number of doors between your room and the exit. Again, do
people follow that advice?
The Navy site has suggestions for those who plan meetings in hotels:
A general rule to keep in mind is that street-level meeting rooms are the easiest to evacuate. Rooms above the seventh floor are more hazardous because fire ladders may not reach that high. Hotel-basement meeting rooms may not be a wise choice, because meeting participants must climb up stairs in the same direction smoke and flames will travel.
The meeting room should have adequate exits. A rule of thumb is that 50 to 300 people require two exits. Three hundred to 1,000 need three exits, and more than 1,000 should have four or more exits. The exits should be lit brightly, not blocked by furniture or curtains, and should be opened easily. They never should be locked or chained. Seating or exhibit arrangements should allow enough aisle space for quick evacuation. You should familiarize yourself with exits and escape routes. Make sure the hotel's floor plan is posted visibly, and walk the entire escape route. Hallways, exits and stairwells should be clear of obstructions. Stairs should have emergency lighting, and elevators should be marked clearly to prevent use in a fire.
Database of Approved Hotels and MotelsThe U.S. Fire Administration also has a
searchable database of fire-safe hotels and motels. The database provides the number of floors of the hotel and notes its fire protection.
The Monte Carlo, for example, is protected by a fire sprinkler system.
You also can
download a list of hotels and motels that have been approved as fire-safe.
-With reporting by Steve Myers
