Thirty years ago, November 21, 1980, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
burned. Eighty-five people died and more than 700 were injured,
including 14 firefighters. Here’s how the Clark County Fire
Department describes the cause of the fire and the initial
response: It was determined during the investigation that the
fire originated in the wall soffit of the side stand in the
Deli, one of five restaurants located on the casino level. The
investigators concluded that several factors contributed to the
cause of the fire but the primary source of ignition was an
electrical ground fault. From nfpadotorg on YouTube, this two
part video (above and below): “Former NFPA fire investigator
Dave Demers introduces a documentary chronicling the historic
fire MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. The fire, which took place
November 21, 1980, was the second largest loss-of-life hotel
fire in the United States. The documentary, produced by the NFPA
in 1981, examines how the fire began, the local response to the
blaze, and how 85 people lost t