The MGM Grand Hotel fire was a significant event in the fire protection industry because it demonstrated the contribution of interior finishes and furnishings to the fire hazard. The casino was not protected with automatic sprinklers or automatic fire detection and alarm system.Ĭontribution of Interior Finishes + Furnishings
The fire was limited to the first-floor casino, however, smoke spread vertically into the hotel tower floors. Within approximately 15 minutes after the fire was discovered, the entire casino was involved in the fire.
Soon after that, the fire reached flashover condition and spread rapidly across the casino floor. The fire was discovered by hotel staff early in the morning when, by that time, it had evolved to open flaming and was increasing in size and intensity. The fire, caused by an electrical fault associated with a refrigerated pastry display case, originated in an unoccupied restaurant on the casino’s first floor. The Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel and Casino fire of 1980 killed 85 people and injured 700 more.
