The fire was started by three disgruntled employees who set dishes of chafing fuel alight in a closed storage room filled with new furniture. The fire was exacerbated by the ventilation system, which sent the fire into the casino, and by numerous safety violations, including locked emergency exits. Ninety-seven were killed and many more were injured.
The fire led to the passing of the Hotel and Motel Safety Act, which required that federal employees stay only in hotels with sprinklers and other fire prevention devices on the theory that hotel and motel owners would adopt the measures to be included in the list of fire safe hotels administered by FEMA.