A look back at deadly fires in the Las Vegas Valley
The devastating Oct. 24 southwest Las Vegas house fire where four family members died serves as an unfortunate reminder that both residential and commercial blazes can be catastrophic. Here’s a look at other such fires in the Las Vegas Valley:
MGM Grand; 87 killed (1980)
On Nov. 21, 1980, guests were forced to evacuate when an early morning fire filled the 26-story MGM Grand Hotel with smoke. The “nightmarish” structure fire trapped guests and casino-goers, killing 87 and injuring hundreds more. Though the blaze is known as the worst in Las Vegas history, it spurred the creation of public policies that upgraded fire safety standards in high-rise buildings throughout the state.
Las Vegas Hilton; 8 killed (1981)
Three months after the MGM Grand hotel fire, all 22 floors of the Las Vegas Hilton went up in flames; the Feb. 10 event killed eight people. Fire officials said the predecessor Strip fire helped them minimize casualties. Using local TV news, they told guests to stay in their rooms and avoid halls and stairwells. Later, investigators determined the fire was set by Philip Cline, a 23-year-old room service busboy, who was later convicted of murder and arson. Cline was sentenced to eight consecutive life terms without parole.
Alpine Motel; 6 killed (2019)
When a fire broke out in the early morning of Dec. 21, 2019, most tenants at the Alpine Motel Apartments were also sleeping. Some residents jumped from the three-story building and escaped. However, the fire ultimately claimed six lives and injured 13. Investigations into the event later revealed that the apartment building, initially constructed in 1972, had failed multiple inspections and received code enforcement complaints in the years prior. The downtown blaze is the deadliest residential fire in city history.
Pahrump; 4 killed (2011)
Neighbors heard a baby wailing as “fast-moving” smoke and flames engulfed a mobile home fire in Pahrump on Feb. 9, 2011. The blaze killed a woman, later identified as a family friend, and three boys, all under the age of six. Outside, the boys’ mother, Sharon Broadhead, who had escaped the fire, screamed that her babies were trapped inside. Broadhead was later arrested on charges of neglect and manslaughter, although fire officials ruled the event accidental. Scott Lewis, the Pahrump Valley Fire-Rescue Service chief, said the investigation showed a juvenile resident possibly ignited the fire.
Van’s Trailer Oasis; 3 killed (2012)
By the time firefighters from Clark County, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas extinguished the flames at Van’s Trailer Oasis park on June 15, 2012, two mobile homes were destroyed, and three toddlers had died. When the fire started, the children and two adults were sleeping. Though the adults, Amy Hatzenpiller and Shane Gouailhardou, escaped, Gouailhardou tried to go back into the home to rescue the children, according to prosecutors who later charged the couple with three counts of child abuse and neglect. Both were sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison after admitting they were “too high” on methamphetamines at the time.
2732 St. George St.; 3 killed (2016)
“Unattended cooking” started a fire that ultimately killed a man, woman and 6-year-old girl in North Las Vegas. Around 7 p.m., the North Las Vegas Fire Department received “numerous calls” reporting a Dec. 1 fire at 2736 St. George St., near Civic Center Drive and East Carey Avenue. Nearly 5o firefighters responded to the single-story house fire, taking about an hour to contain the fire completely. The home, which had no working smoke detectors, sustained $250,000 in damage and was ruled a complete loss. Officials said the three victims were trapped inside and rushed to a nearby hospital. They later succumbed to their injuries.
Westlake Apartments; 3 killed (2016)
The Las Vegas Fire Department responded to the Westlake Apartments, a central valley complex, just before 1 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2016, and found flames shooting from the windows. Two residents, one of which was an 8-year-old girl, died that day; another died days later. Records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal showed the complex had failed its annual inspection earlier that year because of barred unit windows, chained exits and outdated fire alarm systems.
In 2018, a Las Vegas Review-Journal investigation found that the most deadly fires are clustered in areas with older homes and apartments, where current safety measures like sprinklers and interconnected smoke alarms are not required.
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.