fire

It Took a Fire to Change Us | Nevada Public Radio

When asked repeatedly about how Las Vegas can come back from the coronavirus, I kept thinking about an earlier Las Vegas disaster–the 1980 MGM Grand fire and the subsequent Las Vegas Hilton blaze, which provoked a national conversation about highrise safety. I wrote something for KNPR’s DC Blog about how Las Vegas came back from […]

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writing

The Spa Casino Disaster

The 1980 MGM Grand fire is perhaps the most famous casino disaster in history, but the August 13, 1785 blaze that destroyed a wing of Spa’s Redoute casino was just as catastrophic in its day, particularly since burning playing cards blown by a strong wind landed on the roofs of nearby houses, spreading the fire. But the Redoute recovered.

You can learn more about Spa gambling in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling

Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.

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fromthebook

Bally’s fire: Reminder about progress

There was a fire in a Las Vegas Strip casino yesterday. From KLAS: A mattress fire at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Sunday afternoon sent one person to the hospital. Clark County Fire Department spokesman Dan Kulin says the blaze was confined to a room on the 25th floor of the hotel. The

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