Vegas hotel fire blamed on swamp cooler

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LAS VEGAS, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A malfunctioning swamp cooler is being blamed for a roof fire at Las Vegas' Treasure Island Hotel that left 14 people with minor injuries, officials said.

The fire broke out atop the hotel Tuesday morning, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The fire was put out by 9:36 a.m.

Clark County Fire Department investigators determined an accidental malfunction in the swamp cooler, a device that cools air through the evaporation of water, caused the fire, Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling said late Tuesday afternoon. The unit caught fire and sent smoke into the hotel, prompting the evacuation of some of the upper floors of the building.

Emergency responders checked out 14 people for smoke inhalation and treated them at the scene, officials said.

The fire caused an estimated $20,000 worth of damage to the hotel, said Clark County Fire Chief Bertral Washington.