The smoke caught everyone’s attention at first. The brand new, yet-to-open Fontainebleau Las Vegas was burning? Talk about your bad luck! After sitting empty for over fifteen years and countless delays, could the resort be destroyed before it ever welcomes a guest?
Well, let’s slow things down a bit. Yes, there was a fire at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. And yes, everyone up and down The Strip saw the smoke. But the fire was contained to some construction materials on the roof. And truth be known, this was actually a positive for the resort.
First of all, this was a two-alarm rooftop fire… but most structure fires are called as a two-alarm no matter what. The blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon, with the first calls coming in just past 3:30 pm. Local news crews showed thick, black smoke billowing from the roof of the hotel.
Las Vegas Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels stated that while the cause was under investigation, construction materials on the roof were the source of the fire. Samuels also noted that the building’s fire pumps worked as expected, despite the building still being under construction, which kept the flames restricted to the roof. All good stuff.
Most importantly, there were no injuries to workers or firefighters. However, there is still the question of this incident possibly pushing back the already long delayed opening of Fontainebleau Las Vegas from December and into 2024.
Officials from Fontainebleau released a statement in which they say this was a “minor” incident, adding “As safety and security are our highest priorities, we are working closely with the investigators, and additional questions regarding the fire should be directed to the Clark County Fire Department.”
Th overall response to the fire included four ladders trucks, seven rescue units, four Battalion Chiefs, two heavy rescue units, and more, for a total of nearly 90 officials on scene.However, there is no indication that this will delay the Fontainebleau Las Vegas grand opening in December.