As the 30th anniversary of the deadly MGM Grand fire approaches, firefighters who responded to the Las Vegas casino remember what happened.
LAS VEGAS --
As the 30th anniversary of the deadly MGM Grand fire approaches, firefighters who responded to the Las Vegas casino remember what happened that November day.
Retired fire Capt. Michael Dillingham said he remembers the call coming in on Nov. 21, 1980.
"I looked outside and the smoke was just black," he said.
As firefighters rushed to the MGM Grand, the 5,000 people who were inside the casino and hotel had started rushing out. The 26-story resort was filling with smoke and flames, Dillingham said.
"It was really surreal," he said. "You pull up and there's a big veil of smoke and (you) hear glass breaking, people screaming."
Dillingham said he remembers raising the ladder on his truck to rescue people trapped inside, aiding in the rescue of several hundred people. But despite their efforts, 85 people died.
"We did what we could, but you can't reach those people up above," he said.
Most of the people were determined to have died from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. Others had died from burns and falls.
Later, it was determined that the fire was sparked by an electrical fault inside a restaurant, but by the time a worker discovered it, the fire was already spreading beyond control.
Part of the problem, Dillingham said, was that everything inside the casino was combustible and the ventilation system helped to fill the air with toxins.
"The people up there (on the higher floors) were beside themselves," he said. "They broke windows, they threw stuff out."
The MGM Grand fire and another fire three months later at the Las Vegas Hilton sparked swift changes to building and fire codes. By 1981, sprinkler systems and fire alarms were mandatory in all high-rises.
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