No Injuries in Fires at The Cosmopolitan and Sahara This Week in Las Vegas

^{Firefighters take down the fire at Sahara on Tuesday evening. (Photo: courtesy of KSNV)} 

Two minor fires broke out this week at major Las Vegas resorts, with one incident at the Sahara and another at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Thankfully, no injuries or evacuations were reported in either case.

On Tuesday around 5 pm, a fire started on the second-story roof of the Sahara hotel and casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. The fire was quickly extinguished, and damage was limited to construction debris. Firefighters confirmed there were no injuries, and the cause remains under investigation.

Less than 24 hours later, on Wednesday around 1:30 pm, a small fire was reported in a trash chute at The Cosmopolitan. Fire crews responded and contained the blaze within 20 minutes, though smoke lingered in the casino for over an hour.

No evacuation was necessary, and no injuries were reported in either incident. While any casino fire can be alarming, these incidents were just large plumes of smoke with no disruptions to hotel or gaming operations.

Previous Fires at The Cosmopolitan and Sahara

These aren’t the first fires at either property. 

In 1968, a fire at the Sahara injured multiple people and damaged the casino floor, showroom, coffee shop, and some executive offices. The hotel portion of the property was not damaged, and everything reopened shortly after the fire

According to the Las Vegas Sun, that fire was also believed to be construction-related. Unlike the fire at the Sahara this week, some employees and firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.

The Cosmopolitan also experienced a past high-profile fire in 2015 when the Boulevard Pool on the 14th floor caught fire. Guests were evacuated, and two people were treated for smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries occurred.

High winds and fake palm trees caused the fire to spread quickly and produce heavy smoke.

A History of Major Fires at Las Vegas Casinos

While these recent incidents were minor, Las Vegas has seen its share of catastrophic casino fires.

The deadliest was at the MGM Grand (later Bally’s and now Horseshoe) in 1980, which resulted in over 700 people were injured, and 87 deaths.

 The fire started on the ground floor and spread through stairwells and elevator shafts. While players escaped from the casino floor, many others were trapped as smoke traveled throughout the casino. 

Just three months later, in February 1981, a fire broke out on the top floors of the Las Vegas Hilton (now the Westgate). According to Clark County records, it started while the hotel was being updated with modern fire safety equipment.  Eight people were killed and more than 200 were injured. The fire was ruled arson and led to the conviction of Philip Cline who was sentenced to eight consecutive life terms without parole.

The most recent major casino fire was in 2008 at the Monte Carlo (now Park MGM). A construction failure sparked a blaze that engulfed the top four floors of the 32-story hotel. Smoke rose above the Las Vegas Strip for about an hour as debris and embers fell from the building. 

The incident caused $100 million in damages and forced the hotel to close for three weeks.  When the property reopened, about 500 of its 3,000 rooms remained closed. They were later renovated into Hotel 32 at Monte Carlo, which is now the NoMad Las Vegas at Park MGM.

While the recent fires at the Sahara and The Cosmopolitan thankfully did not result in any injuries or serious damage, they serve as reminders of the importance of modern fire safety systems in high-traffic casinos.