Las Vegas Sun

July 5, 2008

Hotel fires through history

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The iconic windmill of the the El Rancho Vegas Hotel topples during the June 17, 1960 fire that destroyed the hotel. Firefighters struggled to preserve the windmill, but efforts were in vain. The hotel was the first official hotel casino to open on The Strip, but now an empty lot stands in its place.

The iconic windmill of the the El Rancho Vegas Hotel topples during the June 17, 1960 fire that destroyed the hotel. Firefighters struggled to preserve the windmill, but efforts were in vain. The hotel was the first official hotel casino to open on The Strip, but now an empty lot stands in its place. View photo »

Firefighters contain what is left of the El Rancho Vegas Hotel fire. No one was hurt in the June 17, 1960 blaze, but a piece of Las Vegas history was lost forever. It has been an empty lot ever since.

Firefighters contain what is left of the El Rancho Vegas Hotel fire. No one was hurt in the June 17, 1960 blaze, but a piece of Las Vegas history was lost forever. It has been an empty lot ever since. View photo »

Smoke billows out of the MGM Grand as the hotel is engulfed in flames on Nov. 21, 1980. Faulty wiring in an unused delicatessen is the cause of the worst disaster in Nevada history and the country's second-worst hotel fire.

Smoke billows out of the MGM Grand as the hotel is engulfed in flames on Nov. 21, 1980. Faulty wiring in an unused delicatessen is the cause of the worst disaster in Nevada history and the country's second-worst hotel fire. View photo »

Distraught guests look on as fire engulfs the MGM hotel, Nov. 21, 1980. The fire alarm of the MGM could only be activated manually and there were no alarms located near the casino, which was where the blaze started. Guests learned of the fire either by witnessing the smoke or through word of mouth.

Distraught guests look on as fire engulfs the MGM hotel, Nov. 21, 1980. The fire alarm of the MGM could only be activated manually and there were no alarms located near the casino, which was where the blaze started. Guests learned of the fire either by witnessing the smoke or through word of mouth. View photo »

MGM guests stand on the balconies of their rooms as they await rescue. The high-rise hotel did not have sprinklers in the rooms, leading to federal and state safety standard changes. All guests were eventually evacuated, but 87 people were killed.

MGM guests stand on the balconies of their rooms as they await rescue. The high-rise hotel did not have sprinklers in the rooms, leading to federal and state safety standard changes. All guests were eventually evacuated, but 87 people were killed. View photo »

Authorities work to put out the fire at the Riviera hotel's construction site in 1989. Despite fire regulations becoming more strict after the MGM fire in 1980, fires still happen. The cause of this blaze is unknown.

Authorities work to put out the fire at the Riviera hotel's construction site in 1989. Despite fire regulations becoming more strict after the MGM fire in 1980, fires still happen. The cause of this blaze is unknown. View photo »

The front page of the Wednesday, February 11, 1981 edition of the Las Vegas Sun features a story on the Hilton hotel-casino fire. The Hilton fire was second in a pair of major hotels taking place just six months apart (The 1980 MGM Grand fire being the first). Eight people died as a result of the blaze.

The front page of the Wednesday, February 11, 1981 edition of the Las Vegas Sun features a story on the Hilton hotel-casino fire. The Hilton fire was second in a pair of major hotels taking place just six months apart (The 1980 MGM Grand fire being the first). Eight people died as a result of the blaze. View photo »

Guests hang back as fire fighters work to put out the blaze at the Sahara hotel in 1964. The cause of the fire is unknown, as are the amount of injuries sustained from the fire. This fire is a precursor to the devistating MGM Grand fire in 1980.

Guests hang back as fire fighters work to put out the blaze at the Sahara hotel in 1964. The cause of the fire is unknown, as are the amount of injuries sustained from the fire. This fire is a precursor to the devistating MGM Grand fire in 1980. View photo »

Firefighters finish putting out the blaze at the Moulin Rouge Hotel on May 2, 2003. The hotel is the first fully inegrated hotel in Las Vegas and is only open for five months. The fire starter, a former employee, is sentenced to over four years in jail for the crime.

Firefighters finish putting out the blaze at the Moulin Rouge Hotel on May 2, 2003. The hotel is the first fully inegrated hotel in Las Vegas and is only open for five months. The fire starter, a former employee, is sentenced to over four years in jail for the crime. View photo »

Fri, Jan 25, 2008 (12:58 p.m.)

The Las Vegas Strip has endured a long history of casino fires going all the way back to the El Rancho Vegas, the first strip hotel.

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