The MGM Grand Hotel fire in Las Vegas killed eighty-five people, making it the deadliest U.S. hotel blaze since 1946. The disaster led to tighter fire regulations and broader deployment of water sprinklers in hotel rooms and common areas.
In 1980, the MGM Grand Hotel consisted of a casino, restaurants, nightclubs, and convention rooms in a low-rise section, as well as 2,076 hotel rooms housed in a twenty-six-story tower. Shortly after 7:00 a.m. on November 21, two employees of a coffee shop spotted signs of a fire in the hotel’s empty delicatessen. Within six minutes, fire engulfed much of the casino. The pressure of the hot gases released by the fire forced open the main doors of the casino, and the fire quickly consumed the carport outside.
