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Thread: MGM Grand Hotel Fire Nov. 21,1980 85 Dead.

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    MGM Grand Hotel Fire Nov. 21,1980 85 Dead.

    At 7:07 am in the morning of Nov 21, 1980 85 people died from smoke inhalation at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, which is now Bally's and also said to be haunted by those that died in the fire. The fire started in a restaurant called The Deli, one of five restaurants located in the hotel and which had no sprinklers. A crew supervisor, who had been going towards The Deli to check if any tiles needed to be replaced, spotted smoke and a flicking light. The lights went out not to long after that and he ran to notify hotel security and a call was placed to the fire department. The fire, which was fed by wallpaper, pvc pipe, plastic mirrors and glue spread to the lobby and then the casino at a rate of 15-19 feet per second. it took six minutes for the building to be totally engulfed in flames, a massive fireball blew out the main entrance and 18 people died in the casino, which had no sprinkler system, toxic fumes raced up the elevator shafts and filled the hallways and guest rooms, 61 people died in the upper area of the hotel, many died in their sleep, unaware there was a fire. The cause of the fire was due to a faulty electrical socket and the spread of the fumes caused by faulty smoke dampers in the ventilation system allowed the toxic fumes to move through the air conditioning ducts and into guest rooms. Thanks to this fire, that is why now we have sprinklers in hotels, smoke alarms in the guest rooms and elevators as well as hotel fire escape routes on the back of the guest room doors. Many lawsuits were filed against the MGM Grand https://law.justia.com/cases/federal...0/913/1432898/ Here is the casefile. When it was all said and done, MGM had to pay out 76 million dollars of a 140 million dollar settlement to victims and family members of those that died.

    Fire investigation report http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/fire/Do...Report1980.pdf





    Casino after fire.



    I'll post a list of the victims names, and where they were found in the next post it's too long to put here in this post.
    Last edited by pkstracy; 09-21-2018 at 02:17 PM.

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    ALVAREZ, Jose Luis Mata, Found 20th Floor Hallway between 2011 and 2009

    ANDREWS, Karen, 36, Found Casino Elevator


    ASHER, David, 39, Indiana, Found Casino Elevator


    ASHTON, John F., 36, Found in Room 2115 MGM Grand Employee


    BARRESI, Elizabeth, 53, Found on landing between 22nd & 23rd floor stairwell


    BELL, Joe, 31, Arkansas, Rooftop


    BLAIR, David R., Jr., 22, Ohio, Found 20th Floor Elevator


    BUSHELL, Robert P., M.D., 48, Found in Room 2338

    CAPETILLO, Maria M., 31, Found 26th Floor Service Elevator

    CASTELAZO, Laura, Found 20th Floor Lobby
    CASTELAZO, Victor, Found 20th Floor Lobby
    DUNCAN, Willie (Female), Found 25th Floor Lobby MGM Grand Employee

    GALICO, Leon, Rooftop
    GALICO, Sara, Removed by Fire Dept. from Room 1675
    GERBOSI, William M., 24, Illinois, Found in Ritz Room

    GUIDRY, Gustave N., 58, Found in casino at registration desk

    HANKS, Dellum, 48, Found 25th Floor Lobby

    HERRING, Edward, 46, Irvine, California, Product Manager, Printronix, Found in Room 2102

    HERRING, Genese Helen, 35, Irvine, California, Recently married to Ed Herring, Maiden Name BARTLETT, Found in Room 2102
    HICKS, Mark, 25, Found in casino at registration desk

    HOLSHUH, Steven Jack, Found 24th Floor Lobby **See SANDERS, Catherine Ann
    HOO, Edna, Found 23rd Floor Hallway
    HOO, James L., Found 23rd Floor Hallway
    HUDGINS, Jodell, 27, Found in Ritz Room **MGM Grand Employee**
    IADELUCA, Raphel, Found 21st Floor Stairwell kneeling over Angela Iadeluca
    JOHNSON, Richard Oren, 44, Minnesota, Found in Room 2302

    KELLER, Blanche E., 64, Found Casino Elevator Hall, East Bank

    KELLER, Jac, 61, Found Casino Elevator Hall, East Bank

    KNICK, Emil Joseph, 50, Maryland, Found in Room 2368 (See UNOLD, Alan & Rosalie)

    KNICK, Mary Elaine, 39, Maryland, Found in Room 2368

    LEVITT, Theresa, 53, Found 22nd Floor Lobby

    LITTMANN, Ellis C., 69, Missouri, Found in Room 1902

    LITTMAN, Roslyn E., 63, Missouri, Found in Room 1902

    MACK, Dolores Ann, 46, Jumped/Fell from N. Side of MGM

    MAYER, Carol Ann, 36, Found in Room 2501 (See NOSE, Lori A.)

    MCCARTHY, G.A. (Male), Found in Room 2139
    MCDOWELL, Genell, 48, Found in casino at registration desk

    MCGAUGHEY, Christine Lynn, 33, Santa Ana, California (Wife of Dennis McGaughey (Survived Fire); Daughter-in-Law of Donald McGaughey (Survived Fire) Found inside room 2535

    MCKINNEY, Ethel Dorothey, 68, Found in Room 2068

    MCKINNEY, Vincent James, 73, Found in Room 2068

    MCQUITHY, Elmira L., 70, Found 20th Floor Elevator

    MCQUITHY, John K., 63, Found 20th Floor Elevator

    MIDDLETON, Barbara E., Found 25th Floor Lobby
    MONAWECK, John Floyd, 56, Arkansas, Found in Casino Elevator

    MORALES, Fernando Lobo, Found in Hallway outside Room 2111
    MORALES, Susanna E. Lobo, Found 20th Floor Hallway between 2011 and 2009
    NILSSON, Donald, M.D., 59, Found 23rd Floor Center Stairwell

    NILSSON, Janet T., 59, Found 23rd Floor Center Stairwell

    NOSE, Lori Ann, 19, Found in Room 2501 (See MAYER, Carol)

    PALAZZOLO, Charles, 40, Found in doorway Room 2418

    PANGBURN, Diane, 23, Found 24th Floor Lobby

    PEHA, Daniel, Found 24th Floor Lobby
    PETERSEN, Roberta, 23, Found 1st Floor, West Stairwell

    PICKETT, Sherman, 53, Found in Ritz Room **MGM Grand Security Guard**

    POTTER, David P., 24, Illinois, Found in Ritz Room

    ROGALL, Edward M., 69

    ROGALL, Pearl M., 71, Found in Room 2237

    SANDERS, Barbara J., Indiana, Found Casino Elevator (**See SANDERS, David F.)
    SANDERS, Catherine Ann, 23, Found 24th Floor Lobby

    SANDERS, David F., 39, Indiana, Found Casino Elevator (**See SANDERS, Barbara J.)

    SHAFFER, Donald M., 42, Found 22nd Floor Center Stairwell

    SIERRA, Manuel, Found Room 2403
    SIERRA, Margarita, Found 24th Floor Lobby
    SIERRA, Pablo, Found 24th Floor Lobby
    SIPFLE, Richard E., 46, Michigan, Found inside Room 2306

    SOSHNIK, Allan M., 32, Georgia, Found 20th Floor Lobby

    SOSHNIK, B.P. (Female), Found 20th Floor Lobby
    SPAGNOLA, Tom, 40, Found 24th Floor Lobby

    STEPHENS, Gary Dean, 43, Found in Room 2367

    STEPHENS, Sammie Lee (Female), 43, Found 23rd Floor Hallway

    THEBEAULT, James E., 32, Ohio, Found 20th Floor Elevator

    THOMAS, Phyllis, 20, Found in casino between registration desk and Flamingo entrance

    THOMPSON, Diane, Found 19th Floor, South Stairwell
    THOMPSON, Tom, Found 19th Floor, South Stairwell
    TORRES, Andres Garcia, Found in Room 2112
    TRAMMEL, Charles, 53, DOA at Sunrise Emergency Room

    TUNIS, Patricia, 60, Found 25th Floor, South Stairwell

    UNOLD, Alan M., 37, Found in Room 2368 (See KNICK, Emil & Mary)

    UNOLD, Rosalie, 42, Found in Room 2368

    VASQUEZ, Jesus (Jose) Luis (Ceja), Found in casino slightly east of center
    VOSSOUGHI, Houshang, M.D., 43, Found in Room 2001

    VOSSOUGHI, Mary Ann, 41, Found in Room 2001

    WHITE, Clarence, DOA at Desert Springs Emergency Room


    Last edited by pkstracy; 09-06-2018 at 09:12 PM.

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    I remember that.
    I also remember footage of the guy in the boots and cowboy hat climbing down the outside of the building.
    Seems like he climbed down several floors, got to the ground and just walked away.
    I always thought there must have been something pretty sketchy about the guy for him to just walk away like that.
    There was - I just found this about the guy:
    https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/c...gm-grand-fire/

    Thanks for the post and pictures - that was horrific and almost unimaginable by today's safety standards.
    A faulty hypothesis forming:
    A German scientist using Iranian physics and French mathematics.



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    oh wow, Jim, good find. You are welcome, I plan on doing a bunch more hotel fire forum posts, and other disaster posts.

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    I've been in a few fires in my time but nothing like this. I can only imagine what they were all going through. It's obviously small comfort to the relatives they left behind but at least the majority died in their sleep without knowing what was happening.

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    That is how I would want to go in my sleep, What is sad on the fire investigation report it has the morgue sheet, how they were identified and the location of the bodies, one couple was in a stairwell and the husband was kneeling over the wife like he was trying to protect her. A lot were found by the windows, and a lot in their beds.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkstracy View Post
    That is how I would want to go in my sleep, What is sad on the fire investigation report it has the morgue sheet, how they were identified and the location of the bodies, one couple was in a stairwell and the husband was kneeling over the wife like he was trying to protect her. A lot were found by the windows, and a lot in their beds.
    I so remember when that happened, I think the fire
    code was changed with a high rise building with many
    floors. (sadly after the fact)
    Carolyn(1958-2009) always in my heart.

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    Yes it is sad, I just finished the Day the MGM Grand Burned book, and it said when fire rescue when in to get bodies there were people sitting at tables in the casino and leaning against the slot machines, they had been burned when the flash over or flash back happened.

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    My dentist (at the time) was staying in a hotel opposite the MGM and said he never could forget the sight of all those hotel guests leaping to their deaths to get away from the flames on the floors where the fire hoses couldn't reach.

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    First photo is too big. Resize it.
    GOD IS NOT DEAD





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    I have no item on my computer that will allow me to resize any photos, any suggestions. I went ahead and removed it as I find these while doing a google search and then I view image and copy paste not knowing the size until I put them on the post.
    Last edited by pkstracy; 09-21-2018 at 02:18 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkstracy View Post
    I have no item on my computer that will allow me to resize any photos, any suggestions. I went ahead and removed it as I find these while doing a google search and then I view image and copy paste not knowing the size until I put them on the post.
    Here's a good little tool that's free for personal use - PicPick:
    https://picpick.app/en/download

    I use it all the time to take screen grabs, resize, add some effects, rotate, etc.
    You can save in multiple image formats or PDF.
    Lots of features for a free tool.
    A faulty hypothesis forming:
    A German scientist using Iranian physics and French mathematics.



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    Thanks Jim, My husband has something called snagit, He said when he can remember his log in he will let me have it I'll try picpick and see how that one is.

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    Ironically reading this after I just got back from 5 days at Bally's today .I knew about this story and we asked for a low floor deliberately , maybe I was superstitious but we didn't want to stay high up in a building that had previously burned .I didn't hear any stories of haunting and we didn't see anything suspicious , but my husbands snoring was so loud it would have frightened off any ghost to another floor .
    The firemen obviously still have this fire fresh in their minds , because when we stayed at Bill's Gambling Hall (now the Cromwell ) we tried to leave via the stairwell but we couldn't as it was locked .I e mailed them when we got back home and the fireman told me about the former MGM , and said they now had a much stricter code,and all stairwells should be kept accessible at all times .It must have been horrific for all involved .

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    Quote Originally Posted by StudioJoe View Post
    My dentist (at the time) was staying in a hotel opposite the MGM and said he never could forget the sight of all those hotel guests leaping to their deaths to get away from the flames on the floors where the fire hoses couldn't reach.
    It must have been heartbreaking to know either way they were going to die. I hope that I never end up in that situation but I understand why so many chose to jump rather than suffer.

    Quote Originally Posted by pkstracy View Post
    Thanks Jim, My husband has something called snagit, He said when he can remember his log in he will let me have it I'll try picpick and see how that one is.
    If push comes to shove you can also use the paint tool. It's basic but it's free and does the job if you don't want to download anything.

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    Thanks ShellC, I will do that also, I read where when the fire department went in, they found bodies still standing in front of the slot machines and a few slumped at the tables, however the book states that it was early and there weren't many people in there, just a few playing blackjack, and they got out, I am wondering did people wander down, got lost and was just standing there when the flash over hit or died due to smoke inhalation, one part said they were burned badly, another said looked like they were sleeping.

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    I remember that, as well. I was in high school. I remember being scared to stay in a two story motel the following summer.
    The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue.

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    I have never been in a fire but reading all the fire stories, MGM, The Station, Our Lady of Angels, The Iroquois Theather fire, I am scared of fire.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkstracy View Post
    I have never been in a fire but reading all the fire stories, MGM, The Station, Our Lady of Angels, The Iroquois Theather fire, I am scared of fire.
    Yep.
    Seems like one of the worst ways to go to me.

    Heck - many people leap to their deaths rather than getting burned alive; as we sadly saw on 9/11.
    A faulty hypothesis forming:
    A German scientist using Iranian physics and French mathematics.



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    The thing that frightens me most about fire is how fast it can spread .You are really lucky if you survive a house fire .My brothers house and even his car outside were engulfed by flames , but luckily the instant my brother smelled smoke he didn't waste one second getting his family out.

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    The wiring in my double wide caught fire in the master bedroom. Nabo had just gone down the hall, and I had just closed my eyes for a nap when I smelled smoke. It was boiling out of the empty plug-in behind the head of the bed. The mattress caught fire before I could jump for the door. Nabo, who had heard a POP, came rushing in. A boarder called 911 and she and another one helped Nabo put the fire out before the firefighters arrived. It was bad enough to burn the mattress, box-springs, and our thick blankets, but it could have been worse.
    Last edited by cindyt; 12-17-2018 at 04:17 AM.
    GOD IS NOT DEAD





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    Quote Originally Posted by cindyt View Post
    The wiring in my double wide caught fire in the master bedroom. Nabo had just gone down the hall, and I had just closed my eyes for a nap when I smelled smoke. It was boiling out of the empty plug-in behind the head of the bed. The mattress caught fire before I could jump for the door. Nabo, who had heard a POP, came rushing in. A boarder called 911 and she and another one helped Nabo put the fire out before the firefighters arrived. It was bad enough to burn the mattress, box-springs, and our thick blankets, but it could have been worse.
    That was a close call .I never liked them plug-ins , they look a bit dodgy .

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    Quote Originally Posted by artymorty View Post
    That was a close call .I never liked them plug-ins , they look a bit dodgy .
    Plug-ins are what we down heah in the South call them there thangs you sock electrical plugs in. Lol.
    GOD IS NOT DEAD





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    Oops !! we call them sockets in the UK I thought you meant a plug in room perfume diffuser

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    Quote Originally Posted by pkstracy View Post
    I have never been in a fire but reading all the fire stories, MGM, The Station, Our Lady of Angels, The Iroquois Theather fire, I am scared of fire.
    I so agree with this.
    Carolyn(1958-2009) always in my heart.

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