On November 21, 1980, one of the worst fire tragedies in US history happened at the MGM Grand Hotel on the famous Las Vegas “strip.” This fire killed 87 people, and approximately 70% of the fatalities were on the upper floors due to smoke inhalation. This paper discusses the fire including what made this tragedy happen. After this fire, many fire safety improvements have been made including advances in smoke control that would have significantly reduced the death toll.