Cosmopolitan pool deck fire fuelled by fake palm trees
Artificial palm trees helped fuel the fire which ripped through a Las Vegas hotel pool deck at the weekend, fire chiefs said.
The blaze began in The Cosmopolitan’s Bamboo Pool and quickly spread through fake palm trees placed close together, Clark County Assistant Fire Chief Sandra Baker said.
Two people were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation and hundreds of guests were forced to evacuate.
"What made it move so fast were all the fake palm trees," fire chief Greg Cassell told CNN.
He said the blaze ‘took off like a rocket’ due to plastic foam used to make the palm trees.
At its height thick plumes of black smoke enveloped the Las Vegas skyline as about 100 firefighters rushed to the scene, taking about 30 minutes to bring it under control.
Hotel management reopened the pool deck Sunday and the main hotel building suffered only minor fire or smoke damage, investigators said.
A preliminary check categorized it as a ‘landscaping fire’ but Cassell said a possible electrical malfunction was also being considered.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt