Decorations lined the interior, along with layers of ornamentation covering the ceiling and walls. The fire was able to spread so quickly due, in no small part, to the decor of the posh Deli restaurant, which was closed that morning.

Making matters worse, the building was only sprinklered in certain areas, as sprinklers weren’t installed throughout the hotel. The only alarm system the MGM did have was purely for security purposes. Immediately, the crew began to evacuate the hotel, as the heavy, deadly smoke descended upon them.ĭuring the fire, no alarms rang, as there was no automatic fire alarm system in place. A fireball exploded from the restaurant area, hurtling into the casino.

After a failed attempt by one employee to contain the fire, witnesses contacted emergency services.Īs soon as Captain Rex Smith and his fire crew from the Clark County Fire Department arrived, they noticed the eerie sight of “heavy black smoke lying motionless in the atmosphere” above the casino pit. The Deli was not sprinklered, and there were no heat or smoke detectors installed. This calamitous fire started in the Deli, an upscale restaurant on the casino floor, due to a number of electrical issues that took place that morning. A rare photo, from a vintage postcard, of the MGM Grand casino floor pre-fire. Though we may think of the modern-day MGM Grand Hotel and Casino when we hear “MGM Grand,” the MGM Grand Hotel fire actually took place on the site of what is now the Bally’s Hotel and Casino. The MGM Grand Hotel was one of the earliest luxury mega-hotels on the Strip, with a price tag of $106 million.Īt its opening in 1973, it was the largest hotel in the world. Because of the raging fire and severe smoke from the blaze, 87 people died, and over 700 were injured in the 26-story building.Īt the time of the fire, approximately 5,000 guests and staff occupied the hotel, leaving many to live to tell the story of this accidental, yet avoidable, disaster. The MGM Grand fire of Novemwas the second largest loss-of-life hotel fire in the history of the United States, and the deadliest event in Nevada state history. In the heart of the bustling Las Vegas strip, dire tragedy once struck.

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