Monte Carlo fire anniversary passes quietly

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Monte Carlo hotel fire (watch video of the fire), but there was little notice of the occasion.

“I asked the hotel president (Anton Nikodemus) about the anniversary and he said, ‘We’re just planning on delivering good service to our guests,’” MGM Mirage spokesman Gordon Absher said.

A year ago, thick, black smoke billowed above the Monte Carlo and images of the fire flashed live across cable news networks.

Clark County Fire Department officials said sparks from a welder’s torch caused the rooftop facade to catch fire.

The three-alarm blaze caused almost $100 million in damage and lost business to the Monte Carle. About 6,000 people were evacuated from the property during the fire and displaced guests were sent to other MGM Mirage hotels.

The 3,000-room hotel-casino was closed for three weeks for repairs and the south-facing upper facade was blackened. About 500 rooms on the hotel-casino's upper floors were damaged by water and taken out of commission.

Absher said this morning everything has reopened except the Monte Carlo’s top floor. The rooms, he said, are being completely redesigned and reconfigured.

While the fire department blamed welders, no citations were issued because the fire was termed accidental.