Add Category
A fire broke out at a Las Vegas Strip luxury hotel and destination for music stars, injuring two people and covering the gambling district with thick plumes of black smoke.
The gleaming luxury hotel, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, overlooks the main part of the Strip and attracts celebrities like Beyonce and Jay Z, who stay in its posh three-storey suites and come and go through its secret entrances and passageways.
The two injured people suffered smoke inhalation, and at least one was transported to a hospital, said Clark County Assistant Fire Chief Sandra Baker in a phone interview.
The fire sent plumes of dark smoke over Las Vegas' skyline. Photo: AP
"There was some damage to some windows; very, very minor damage to the building. It was contained to the pool area," Baker said.
Advertisement
Firefighters appeared to make quick work of the blaze. Less than 15 minutes after posting a picture on Twitter of the flames and smoke rising from the hotel, Courtney Cyr, a guest at the nearby Aria Resort and Casino, posted another image of the charred remains it left behind.
Sandra Baker, a county spokeswoman, told The Las Vegas Sun that firefighters had extinguished the flames and were working to clear the smoke and check the adjoining tower to be sure the fire had not spread. Crews from Las Vegas Fire and Medical also responded to the fire.
Smokes billows from a fire on the outside pool area of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel-casino. Photo: Julio Loredo/AP
The five-star hotel opened in 2010 and has nearly 3000 rooms. This year it was on Conde Nast's Gold List of the best hotels in the world.
New York Times