Fire at Las Vegas‘ Venetian Hotel

The fire department reported a 3-alarm fire at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Traffic was closed off on Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.

The fire started around 8 p.m. Friday and dark smoke and flames could be seen from Eyewitness News cameras in the sky.

The Clark County Fire Department says the fire started after a construction tarp fastened to a decorative tower on The Venetian was overheated by a light.

Flames shot about 40-feet into the air and thousand of tourists stood across the street and watched as fire crews put out the blaze. The fire was contained to the outside of the Venetian.

Earlier Friday, high winds blew loose a huge sign for the show ‚Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular‘ at the hotel prompting a closure of one of the busiest portions of the Strip. The traffic was reopened later in the day.

Elevated dust level and 40-45 mph wind gusts have put Clark County firefighters on a high alert.