Philip Bruce Cline

Philip Bruce Cline was an employee at the Las Vegas Hilton (now Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino) in Nevada in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Very little about his early life or personal background is publicly documented, and there are no widely available records of his upbringing, education, or private life prior to 1981.

On February 10, 1981, Philip Bruce Cline committed one of the deadliest hotel fires in Nevada history. While working at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel — one of the largest casino hotels in the world at that time — Cline intentionally ignited a curtain in an elevator lobby on the east tower’s eighth floor. The blaze quickly spread to the exterior of the building and up the facade, engulfing portions of the 30‑story structure.

Despite the efforts of hotel staff and firefighters, the fire claimed the lives of eight people. In addition, approximately 350 people were injured, including 48 firefighters, due to smoke inhalation and related complications. The smoke and flames caused widespread disruption throughout the hotel and required a massive emergency response.

Among those treated for smoke inhalation was famous singer Natalie Cole, who was a guest at the hotel during the fire and later recovered.

The hotel’s casino and remaining guest rooms were partially reopened just nine days after the fire; however, complete restoration and repairs took several months and cost millions of dollars due to the extent of the damage.

The eight people killed in the Las Vegas Hilton fire were patrons and guests of the hotel who succumbed to smoke inhalation and fire‑related injuries. Many of those injured suffered from severe respiratory distress, burns, and trauma associated with fleeing the rapidly spreading blaze. Firefighters and emergency responders also sustained numerous injuries while evacuating guests and battling the fire.

Following the investigation of the 1981 fire, Philip Bruce Cline was arrested, tried, and convicted on charges including arson and murder. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole due to the severity of his actions, which resulted in the deaths of eight people and injuries to hundreds more.