Strict fire codes kept Cosmo fire in check, county officials say Clark County officials credit strict building codes for helping to prevent the spread of flames at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas' rooftop pool Saturday afternoon. "Clark County's building and fire codes are among the most stringent in the nation," the county wrote in a prepared statement Monday. Those codes also govern poolside cabanas, said county spokeswoman Stacey Welling, with rules including size limits, distance between cabanas, where cabanas can be located and automatic sprinkler systems. The county requires cabanas to be made of non-combustible materials and placed at least 20 feet away from any fuel-fired equipment. But Welling said there are no local or national codes related to outdoor decorations like the artificial landscaping that surrounded the 14th-floor Bamboo Pool, which Clark County fire department spokesman Greg Cassell likened to "liquid gasoline." Witnesses at the scene reported that the fire seemed to begin in or around a cabana. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blaze, officials said Monday. Evidence as of Sunday showed the fire was accidental, possibly ignited by an electrical problem, fire department spokeswoman Sandra Baker said. The fire started about 12:15 p.m. and was extinguished in under 30 minutes. Though the blaze produced tall flames and thick black smoke, it never penetrated the 61-story West End tower of the hotel-casino. "These codes, combined with the professional efforts of our firefighters, worked to keep the fire

Strict fire codes kept Cosmo fire in check, county officials say

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Strict fire codes kept Cosmo fire in check, county officialssay

Clark County officials credit strict building codes for helping to prevent the spread of flames at theCosmopolitan of Las Vegas' rooftop pool Saturday afternoon.

"Clark County'��s building and fire codes are among the most stringent in the nation," the countywrote in a prepared statement Monday.

Those codes also govern poolside cabanas, said county spokeswoman Stacey Welling, with rulesincluding size limits, distance between cabanas, where cabanas can be located and automaticsprinkler systems.

The county requires cabanas to be made of non-combustible materials and placed at least 20 feetaway from any fuel-fired equipment.

But Welling said there are no local or national codes related to outdoor decorations like the artificiallandscaping that surrounded the 14th-floor Bamboo Pool, which Clark County fire departmentspokesman Greg Cassell likened to "liquid gasoline."

Witnesses at the scene reported that the fire seemed to begin in or around a cabana. Investigatorsare still working to determine the cause of the blaze, officials said Monday.

Evidence as of Sunday showed the fire was accidental, possibly ignited by an electrical problem, firedepartment spokeswoman Sandra Baker said.

The fire started about 12:15 p.m. and was extinguished in under 30 minutes. Though the blazeproduced tall flames and thick black smoke, it never penetrated the 61-story West End tower of thehotel-casino.

"These codes, combined with the professional efforts of our firefighters, worked to keep the fire

Page 2: Strict fire codes kept Cosmo fire in check, county officials say

contained primarily to the outdoor areas of the building, with the exception of one lanai located onthe pool deck that sustained some fire damage," the county release said.

The pool area, with the exception of the bar, was reopened at 10 a.m. Sunday, less than 24 hoursafter the blaze began.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at [email protected] or 702-383-0381. Find her onTwitter:@KimberlyinLV

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/strict-fire-codes-kept-cosmo-fire-check-county-officials-say