Fire guts Pahrump casino

Jace Radke

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

PAHRUMP -- Fire gutted the Mountain View Casino and Bowl this morning with flames shooting as high as 25 feet into the air, destroying what some locals in this small town say was one place the whole family could gather.

The casino, which had an arcade, three restaurants and a 24-lane bowling alley, was nothing but charred remains late this morning.

"We're just thankful that nobody was hurt and right now our concern is with our 200 employees," Debbie Brooks, a co-owner of the Mountain View said this morning. "We are going to rebuild."

Chris Verzilli, a 23-year-old security guard at the casino, was getting breakfast to go from the restaurant at about 4 a.m. when he got a call that there was an emergency in the kitchen. He ran into the kitchen and saw flames above a fryer.

"I grabbed the fire extinguisher, and I was able to put it out, but then the whole kitchen just exploded in flames," said Verzilli, who was unhurt. "At that point the security team decided to evacuate the building."

Verzilli said he's been working security at the casino for seven months, said

"It was just devastating. I saw all the faces of our customers and employees who won't be able to come here anymore," Verzilli said. "This was the only place in Pahrump for families to come."

Pahrump Valley Fire Chief Scott Lewis said after his crews arrived at the casino on South Pahrump Valley Boulevard, west of Highway 160, two firefighters went inside to make sure no one was trapped inside. Shortly afterward the roof began to collapse and two more firefighters went into the building to retrieve the first pair.

"We had two firefighters trapped for a short time but we were able to go in and get them out, no one was hurt," Lewis said. "From that point we made a defensive fight."

Clark County fire units were called to help battle the blaze at the casino about 65 miles west of Las Vegas. Clark County Fire sent reinforcements, providing two engines and a ladder truck, officials said.

The fire apparently spread between the casino's ceiling tiles and the roof, above the sprinkler system, and that's why the sprinklers did not douse the fire, Lewis said.

No serious injuries were reported. Pahrump Valley Fire will be investigating the fire's cause with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as well as the state's Gaming Control Board.

The 60,000-square foot casino had 369 slot machines and three blackjack tables, according to the casino's website. The property also had three restaurants, a 24-lane bowling alley and two bars.

Barbara Walker, a 23-year resident of Pahrump, was on her way to her shift this morning as a waitress at the Pines Restaurant inside the casino when she spotted the flames from five miles away.

"I'm a little worried right now because it doesn't look like I have a job," said Walker, who has worked at the Pines for nine years. "My daughter and my daughter-in-law also work here as waitresses."

Walker said she heard the owners of the Mountain View planned to bring in job counselors as early as this afternoon to help the more than 200 employees find work at other casinos. In the meantime Walker said she had put her name on a list of applicants to provide security at the scene of the fire.

Sonny Barnes, who said he goes to the casino five to six times a week, said he came out this morning after hearing about the fire. He was last inside Monday for the T-bone steak special at 4 p.m.

"This was a small-town place where you could get family home cooking and where you give the waitress a hug," Barnes said.

Carol Sykes, who worked as a waitress at the Pines for four years before leaving a year ago, was in the parking lot embracing and comforting other waitresses and casino employees as firefighters battled the blaze.

"It's really a family atmosphere for the employees," Sykes said. "It's a tight, hard-working group but they enjoy being here."

Ginger Engel, a semi-professional bowler who coaches a junior bowling league at the Mountain View lanes, said the fire would devastate the town's youth activities.

"That kids' league is gone now until they rebuild it because this is the only bowling alley in town," Engel said. "This was my second home. If they would have put a cot in the back I would have lived here."

Engel said she lost $5,000 in bowling balls and shoes she stored in a locker at the lanes.

Amanda Bradley, 16, came by this morning for her bowling class only to find the casino ablaze.

"This is really bad for the kids in town because this is the only place we had to hang out," Bradley said. "On Friday and Saturday nights it was packed with kids. For $10 you could do cosmic bowling for three hours."

The alley also had an arcade with video and carnival-style games.

As firefighters continued to spray water on the charred shell of the building at about 9 a.m. this morning, many people from the town began arriving to offer support. Terrible's Casino, also in Pahrump, provided water and sandwiches for the firefighters.