In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas was abruptly awakened by the menace of fire, originating from an apparent elevator malfunction. The blaze enveloped the property in ominous clouds of smoke, forcing the establishment to shut down temporarily. Amazingly, no injuries were reported.
The fire alarm pierced the quietude at about 2:30 a.m. The hotel staff, in a routine but always nerve-wracking practice, hastened from door to door, rousing slumbering guests with levels of urgency, conveying the impending threat.
The guests, startled from their deep sleep, descended into the lobby through the staircases, their hearts pounding in their chests. As the firefighters rallied to douse the flames, some guests waited nervously in the lobby while others retreated to the sanctuary of their cars, waiting for the all-clear sign to re-enter the hotel.
Responding promptly, the Clark County Fire Department had the situation under control rapidly. By 6 a.m., with the blaze adequately subdued, the weary firefighters withdrew to their stations, leaving the once tranquil hotel in the aftermath of smoke and char.
The hotel management, acknowledging the disruption, instructed the guests to find accommodation in other hotels for the night and compensated them for the inconvenience caused.
Visitor Craig Hudson from California shared his initial assumption that the fire alarm was a case of a faulty system— a presumption that was dispelled as he stepped out into the hallways where other guests broke news of the electrical fire. He even recalls catching a whiff of what seemed like a burning circuit drawing the common picture of an electrical fire together.
Ethan Romero, along with his father, were unfortunate witnesses to a spectacle of smoke billowing from the elevator, an experience which left them rattled. He mused on the bizarre fortune that seemed to be accompanying their family vacation. They had left Northridge amidst flooding and hail, and now found themselves at the heart of a hotel fire. With uncanny humor, he curiously speculated what could be in store next, an earthquake perhaps?
The inferno forcibly evicted the Romero family and the slew of other guests, compelling them to wait outside until the unspent fire was finally quenched. He remarked on the hotel’s decision to reimburse guests, hoping that it would offer some recompense for their ordeal.
The extent of the damage to the property or the financial burden it incurs remains uncertain. Equally unclear is when operations at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel will resume. The hotel’s prime location, nestled near Warm Springs Road and Route 215, mere minutes from the Harry Reid International Airport, adds further significance to the incident.