MGM Fire forty years ago

It is hard to believe it has been 40 years since the fire. I believe the second-worst in US history.
Here are a few news articles
https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/mgm-fire-las-vegass-worst-disaster-marks-40-year-anniversary/article_19f3f368-2bc9-11eb-a911-9fd354b64510.html

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/saturday-marks-40-years-since-tragic-mgm-las-vegas-fire/

This thread has people who were involved talk about it
https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/people-involved-recount-morning-of-deadly-mgm-grand-fire-40-years-later/

While fire safety is much better it always a good idea to check the fire plan on your room door and to just take a few seconds in any venue to think about what you do. Smoke kills, fire kills and so does panic

 

Actually it is number 20th on deadliest fires. But 2 are terrorist bombings and many are from earlier in the century.
But 2 recent ones are:
The Station Nightclub
W. Warwick, RI

Happy Land Social Club
New York, NY

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Catastrophic-multiple-death-fires/Deadliest-single-building-or-complex-fires-and-explosions-in-the-US

 

One very interesting thing about the aftermath of the MGM fire is that when the fire code changes were made they were made retroactive to the existing structures that the new code covered.

https://fire.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/firenvgov/content/Resources/Commission%20on%20Fire%20Safety%20Codes%20-%20MGM%20Grand%20Final%20Report%2003111981.pdf

 

Zoobrew you are right I think it was the second-worst hotel fire in US history the worst as noted on your list is the Winecoff fire in 1946. I type and read too fast thank you for correcting and linking to a list that brought back some memories

A look at your list was fascinating. Being originally from Cleveland I remember reading about the fire at the Clinic. The Lakeview school fire in 1908 lead to changes in how doors open. But the real fire that brought back memories on your list was the Ohio State Penitentiary fire. That Penitentiary has a history of its own. From riots to human medical experiments. It has many stories about it many in fact and other ghost legends kids use to tell.

I got out of a bad fire while I was in college I will not say when but a long time ago with just smoke injuries and a one-night hospital stay. But fires just make me nervous. The college I am a work at now lost a dorm in 2002 but everyone made it out okay.

 

Glad you made it out safely @tigers4life !

I've mentioned before that my 1st trip to Vegas was for a conference at new MGM (early 2000s). At that point we had to register for each of our classes & they scanned our badge and measured room occupancy - we were not allowed in a class we had not registered for without changing in advance. So different from the previous conferences in other national cities. They actually told us it was because of chain of effects from this fire. We were provided a long talk on it and how the outcome actually made hotels safer across the country. I only stayed in 'north' tower of once. I have no issues with ghosts, spirits, etc & have discussed encounters with members on here before. I had no encounters that I was aware of in that tower, but I did feel a bit sad there. After that I only stayed in the Jubilee tower after the remodel.

I can remember sitting & watching news about it on TV with my mom also.

 

We did our honeymoon there a few years earlier.

Here is a detailed report of what took place. https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Resources/Fire-Investigations/FIR_1980_11_21_hotel3.ashx?la=en

On page 31, there is statement from one of the first firefighters on the scene that witnessed the fireball across the casino to the front doors.

 

40 years ago for the fire and 25 years ago for the movie Casino, if you were alive and remember them both you're not a spring chicken. I ain't no chicken.

 

A true tragedy. RIP to all the victims.

But at least LV really cracked down on fire safety in the aftermath.

 

There are numerous YouTube videos taken of the Station Nightclub fire from inside the building as the fire was starting and the crowd was rushing to the exits. As someone with a degree in Fire Science (who, unfortunately, never got on a department) I am still fascinated by how quickly a fire can spread, and also with how few people realize that the smoke is by far the biggest danger of a fire, with lack of exits/knowing where they are is right behind.