"Within seconds, black smoke began pouring out of the Deli, a cafe on the casino floor. The firefighters ordered guests to stay low, close to the floor, as security guards pointed people to the exits. Beshoar caught a glimpse of orange flames through the smoke. "At that point there was a loud click," he said. "The lights went out, and the whole casino floor darkened.""
"Beshoar and his companions, all firefighters on vacation in Las Vegas, had just started sipping their coffees when a security guard approached them. Everyone needed to evacuate, the guard said. There was a fire in the first-floor kitchen. Despite being off duty, the men identified themselves as firefighters and offered to help while the Clark County Fire Department was en route."
At 7:19 a.m. on Nov. 21, 1980, a wall of flames exploded from the Deli on the casino floor of the MGM Grand. Black smoke poured from the Deli within seconds, darkening the casino and triggering an evacuation. Off-duty firefighters in the coffee shop ordered guests to stay low while security pointed people to exits. The lights went out and orange flames became visible through the smoke. By midday, 85 people were dead inside the 26-story hotel. The MGM Grand opened in 1973 after Kirk Kerkorian converted Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer into a hotel brand and built the largest casino on the Strip.
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