BREAKING NEWS: Fire This Morning at the Monte Carlo

Around 11am local time this morning (January 25), an emergency call was received that a three-alarm fire had broken out on the top four floors of the Monte Carlo resort on the Strip.

As black plumes of smoke filled the sky above the hotel, guests and employees were being immediately evacuated. Officials said staff went door to door inside, quickly alerting guests to the emergency and getting them out to safety.

Despite the panic of the sudden blaze, a spokesperson for the Monte Carlo said to his knowledge, everyone inside had been evacuated without serious injury. Hampering efforts to get everyone to safety were the crowds that formed from nearby resorts to gawk at the Monte Carlo on fire, making it difficult for emergency crews to respond. Small pieces of debris also fell from the roof as patrons were trying to exit.

The cause of the fire is still not known, though some have speculated it may have something to do with welders that were working on the roof shortly before the blaze started. The resort is currently in the midst of a renovation.

At this time, parent company MGM Mirage says the Monte Carlo is closed and secure, and the fire has been contained to the west and south wings of the hotel, as of 2pm, local time. Streets surrounding the resort have also been blocked by police and rescue personnel to allow for emergency crews to do their jobs, so keep that in mind if you are planning to drive in the area this afternoon.

The hotel opened in 1996 and at this time, it is unknown if any of the resort’s more than 3,000 rooms and suites have been seriously damaged but a look at the external of the building shows the top floors blackened from the blaze. This is where many of the pricier suites are contained. Friends have also said the smoke was visible more than a mile away.

I’m still trying to obtain photos and more details, but in the meantime, these local news crews have filed reports and photos:

• KLAS-TV has filed a report with aerial video footage
• The Las Vegas Sun has an early report of the blaze with first-person recounts
• Sky News has a great shot of a firefighter inside fighting the flames with the hose.
• The Review-Journal has both aerial and ground photos of the evacuation.