Small fires break out at separate Strip resorts

By Mary Manning

Published Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 | 7:28 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 | 2:25 p.m.

Clark County firefighters responded to two small fires overnight at two Las Vegas Strip resorts. One of the fires left a man burned and forced guests to evacuate.

Firefighters arrived at a smoke-filled room on the 26th floor with alarms going off at the Bellagio hotel and resort at about 5:50 a.m., fire department spokesman Scott Allison said.

A mattress fire likely caused by smoking in bed triggered the evacuation of the 26th floor and some guests from floors 25 and 27, but the hotel's sprinkler system put out the fire, Allison said.

A man in the room where the fire started had minor burns to his arm and was taken to a local hospital. A few other guests were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and released, Allison said.

Guests were allowed to return to their rooms in the 3,000-room hotel tower later in the morning. Fire officials are investigating the Bellagio fire, Allison said.

At about 9:48 p.m. Monday, a fire broke out in a mechanical room on the 14th floor of the Venetian, Allison said.

Firefighters found a pile of air filters burning, but the cause of the fire is unknown, Allison said.

The hotel's sprinkler system doused the flames. There were no injuries.

Clark County and Nevada created tougher fire codes after disastrous resort fires in high-rise hotels in the 1980s, requiring each hotel and casino to have sprinklers and alarms. Eighty seven people were killed in the MGM Grand fire and eight died in the Las Vegas Hilton fire less than six months later, prompting the fire and safety code changes.