Electrical malfunction blamed for Foxwoods fire

22 rooms have water damage

January 31, 2008|Associated Press

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. - Fire officials determined yesterday that an electrical malfunction caused a roof fire at the Great Cedar Hotel at Foxwoods Resort Casino, a spokesman said.

Saverio Mancini, Foxwoods spokesman, said an electrical heating device that keeps pipes from freezing malfunctioned, sparking the fire.

The fire, the second such blaze at a US hotel-casino in less than a week, forced the evacuation of hundreds of guests from the hotel. There were no injuries.

Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe.

Guests who were put up in other hotels were allowed to return to their rooms at Great Cedar Hotel yesterday to retrieve personal items, Mancini said.

A total of 22 rooms in the 312-room hotel were affected by water damage. The top two floors of the eight-story building remained closed yesterday, said Bruce MacDonald, tribal spokesman. The rest of the hotel and its ground-floor casino were reopened.

MacDonald said 17 fire departments helped the 35-member tribal Fire Department fight the blaze.

"First, we're very thankful that no one was injured and very appreciative of the effort made by the fire departments in southeastern Connecticut," he said.

The fire followed a blaze Friday at the 32-story Monte Carlo casino-hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in which foam material lining the roof caught fire. The Monte Carlo remained closed yesterday.

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