40th Anniversary of the MGM Grand Hotel Fire
US Air Force’s 302nd Special Operations Squadron was there.
Eggs sends.
The MGM Grand fire occurred on Friday, November 21, 1980 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (now Bally’s Las Vegas), located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The fire killed 85 people, most through smoke inhalation.[1] The fire began from a refrigerated pastry display case in one of the restaurants, located on the first floor. Fire engulfed the resort’s casino, and smoke travelled into the hotel tower.
See Wiki for further details of the fire: MGM Grand Fire.
Thanks, Eggs. And a belated Bravo Zulu to the 302nd SOS.
Category: Air Force, Bravo Zulu, Guest Link
I don’t remember this as a little shit
But I definitely remember PEPCON
blowing up in henderkucky and shaking
The Vegas valley like a earth quake
That was 1988.
My father lived over the hill so to speak in Henderson. Lots of blown out windows, etc., in that neighborhood.
Thanks to Frankie G for the video link this AM.
I was a Volley in the ERFD at the time and at the time, the hotel owners fought against installing sprinklers throughout the hotel except for the arcade, restaurant and convention areas. An investigation found numerious violations in the damper system and other violations. I think that there were over 25 violations or more. 18 fatalities were on the ground floor and 67 were between the 16th and 26th floors. There was one jumper, 4 burn victims and the rest from smoke and CO poisoning. Lots of fire and building code changes after the fire investigation. The City bosses wouldn’t back the FD on their wanting the whole building sprinklered.
Remember this tragedy quite well. Was very deep into my “Road Warrior” traveling days and spent just about every night of the work week in a hotel room of some sort. Got into the even more anal retentive habit of NOT counting on the construction/facilities or employees to keep me safe from fire.
Damn shame that piss poor workmanship, shoddy materials, cost/corner cutting to save a few hundred thousand led to the deaths of 85 Souls and the injury of more than 600 others. May the Souls of those departed haunt the ones that made those decisions until they themselves die a painful, horrifying death. Those pennies saved paled in comparison to those deaths and the millions spent later.
BZ to the Airedales that rescued the folks. Guess that old RHIP led to the MSG that hooked Ms Thang TV Reporter to the lift “jungle/bush penetrator”?
I remember this well. Fine job gentlemen. Damned fone job indeed.