Fire on Caesars roof sends smoke billowing over Strip

Keith Paul

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 11:19 a.m.

A propane tank exploded on the roof of Caesars Palace Thursday, injuring three people and sending a huge plume of black smoke into the air over the Strip.

A small propane tank tipped over and ruptured on the roof of a three-story hotel building and a worker's torch ignited the leaking gas, said Bob Leinbach, a Clark County Fire Department spokesman.

The tank, which was destroyed in the explosion, was believed to have held about 20 pounds of the gas.

The explosion touched off a brief blaze on the roof injuring a 29-year-old worker, who was treated at University Medical Center for second-degree burns on his arms, face and hands and released.

Two tourists in a room near the explosion suffered minor injuries described as a possible concussion from the blast and smoke-related illnesses. They were treated at Sunrise Hospital for the non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The 11:25 a.m. Thursday fire was contained to the top of the roof between two hotel towers. The blaze went to two alarms once the smoke was visible. There was about $30,000 in damage, Leinbach said.

Firefighters quickly put out the fire, which was confined to roof and roofing material on top of the three-story hotel tower, which was being re-roofed, Leinbach said. The fire did not extend into the rooms below the roof.

The 2,454-room hotel and casino were not evacuated, but some tourists left the buildings after the fire alarms sounded and were standing in front of the hotel while firefighters put out the blaze. Leinbach said there was no risk to hotel guests and employees and an evacuation was not needed.

The huge cloud of black smoke quickly dissipated, but traffic was slowed on the already busy Las Vegas Boulevard for about an hour.

About 50 firefighters and paramedics and about 16 fire trucks and ambulances responded to the fire.