The Latest: Damage from Bellagio shops roof fire tops $400K
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on a fire that damaged the roof of a shopping annex at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip (all times local):
1:30 p.m.
A fire official says it could be a couple of weeks before investigators know what sparked a blaze that caused more than $400,000 in damage to the roof of a retail annex at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
Deputy Clark County Fire Chief Jeff Buchanan said Friday officials suspect an exterior electrical or lighting malfunction started the blaze late Thursday atop the Via Bellagio shops.
A tourist says the 11 p.m. Bellagio fountains show went on as scheduled, with the "Pink Panther Theme" playing while firefighters battled wind-whipped flames.
Buchanan told reporters the work took 19 minutes.
He says that instead of using a roundabout route upstairs, firefighters attacked from the ground first and then used a ladder to get on the roof.
County spokesman Erik Pappa says officials found no building code violations at the resort.
____
12:30 p.m.
A tourist says the Bellagio fountains sprayed and the "Pink Panther Theme" played while firefighters battled flames atop a retail complex at the Las Vegas Strip resort.
Sean Kim of Los Angeles said Friday that he and his friends initially thought the fire late Thursday was part of the iconic fountain show.
He shot cellphone video from the sidewalk while gusty winds whipped flames across the roof of the Via Bellagio shops.
Kim says he realized something was wrong when plastic-smelling smoke began to billow, police started evacuating people from the shopping area, and melting building material dripped fireballs toward the fountain lake.
Fire officials say no one was injured and damage was limited to the roof of the mall. The cause of the fire isn't immediately known.
___
11 a.m.
A hotel official says shops and restaurants have reopened at a Bellagio resort retail annex while authorities assess damage from a Thursday night fire on the roof.
MGM Resorts International spokeswoman Yvette Monet (moh-NAY') said Friday that damage was mostly above a Starbucks at the Via Bellagio shops and is still being assessed.
Assistant Clark County Fire Chief Larry Haydu said Friday that no one was injured in the spectacular fire about 11 p.m. Thursday.
He says the cause wasn't immediately known.
Monet says employees evacuated from stores like Tiffany & Co. and Chanel, but operations weren't interrupted at the casino and the 36-story hotel.
Gusty winds fanned flames, and Haydu says crews had trouble getting access to the rooftop next to the iconic dancing fountains.
___
7:55 a.m.
A fire official says a late Thursday blaze damaged decorative facing on the roof of a shopping and restaurant annex at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
Assistant Clark County Fire Chief Larry Haydu said Friday that no one was injured in the spectacular fire about 11 p.m. Thursday.
He says damage was limited to the roof of the Via Bellagio annex. A cause wasn't immediately known.
Hotel spokeswoman Yvette Monet (moh-NAY') says the retail area was evacuated, but operations weren't interrupted at the posh casino and hotel with nearly 4,000 rooms.
Gusty winds made fighting the fire difficult. Haydu says crews had trouble reaching the rooftop adjacent to the iconic dancing fountains near the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
The retail area has high-end stores like Tiffany & Co. and Chanel, and celebrity restaurants line the fountain lake.
___
1:15 a.m.
More than 70 firefighters responded to a fire that broke out on the roof of the Bellagio Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip late Thursday.
A Clark County Fire Department spokesman released a statement saying firefighters responded to a report of a fire on the roof of the building on the south side of the lake.
Assistant Fire Chief Larry D. Haydu said in a statement that the location of the fire made access difficult but it was knocked down in under an hour.
Part of Las Vegas Boulevard remained closed early Friday.
No injuries were reported.
