Fireworks erupt above the South Coast on Thursday for the $600 million hotel-casino's opening on Las Vegas Boulevard South. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

There were plenty of bright lights on hand to mark Thursday's debut of the South Coast.

But owner Boyd Gaming Corp. would have preferred to skip the illumination provided by a dozen firetrucks that responded to a small rooftop fire minutes after the $600 million resort opened its doors to thousands of eager customers.

Fireworks launched during a 15-minute pre-opening celebration ignited building materials stored atop the property's 24-story hotel tower. Capt. Chris Grimes of the Clark County Fire Department said the flames were quickly extinguished.

No one was injured, and a damage estimate was not available.

Boyd Gaming spokesman Rob Stillwell confirmed Grimes' report, adding ventilation devices drew smoke into the building's uppermost floors.

He stressed that the building itself was never on fire and neither the hotel nor casino required evacuation.

About 36 firefighters responded to the call, Grimes said. Some drew stares from curious patrons as they walked through the casino; others completely ignored them -- as well as fire emergency warnings that blared from the public address system for about 45 minutes.

"The staff said it wasn't anything important," said Las Vegas resident John Grey, who won $150 playing slots during South Coast's first few minutes.

Grey's friend, Chris McKee, noticed a line of people who walked out during the alarms, but neither of them felt they were at risk.

"This wasn't anything like the MGM (Grand) situation. The fire controls are better today," Grey said, referring to the blaze 25 years ago that killed 87 people and injured more than 600 at the Strip casino now known as Bally's.

Prior to the fire, Sun City Anthem resident Ingrid Galauner praised the fireworks display and said she was pleased to have a new resort close to home.

"I love it. We want to see it all," said Galauner, who was with her husband, Phil, and neighbors Bill and Brenda Hughes.

When asked what he hoped to discover inside, Bill Hughes quipped, "A jackpot."

Others sought the same. Empty machines were sparse on the 80,000-square-foot casino floor. Lines stretched nearly 70 yards to enter the Garden Buffet, and hordes of people crammed the Club Coast counter.

Parking was also at a premium. Cars were backed up from the South Coast all the way to St. Rose Parkway to the south and Blue Diamond Road to the north.

South Coast is at 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South, near Silverado Ranch Boulevard.

Besides the casino, there is a 650-room hotel, seven restaurants, a 64-lane bowling center and a 16-screen Century Theaters cineplex.

A 4,400-seat equestrian center and second, 700-room hotel tower will open early next year.

Hours before Thursday's opening, South Coast Vice President & General Manager Michael Gaughan Jr. strolled the gold-colored halls near a second-floor meeting area.

Having worked Coast Casinos' unveiling of The Orleans in December 1996, Gaughan understood opening night's rushes and lulls.

"We're as good as we're going to get until we open the doors," he said, adding management and workers spent Wednesday and Thursday "fine tuning" the Southern California-themed property.

Similar efforts will continue for weeks as guests offer feedback.

"We're fortunate because our customers are already familiar with our other properties," Gaughan said. "We understand what they expect, so at the very least we'll meet those expectations. But our goal is to exceed them."

Boyd Gaming Corp. operates the South Coast through its Coast Casinos division, which it acquired in July 2004 for $1.3 billion.

South Coast also could help the local travel industry top expectations. After more than a decade of rapid growth that brought new megaresorts such as The Venetian, Bellagio and Mandalay Bay, the rush to build Las Vegas resorts slowed after the Aladdin's August 2000 debut.

Experts blamed the downturn on a sluggish U.S. economy, which worsened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Between 2000 and 2005, only a few smaller properties came online, notably The Palms and Green Valley Ranch Resort in late 2001, as well as the Cannery, a locals property in North Las Vegas that opened in January 2003.

As business picked up, several gaming companies expanded with new hotel towers that complemented existing resorts rather than new stand-alone developments.

But this year featured the April 28 debut of the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas, in addition to South Coast.

That growth will continue next year, when Station Casinos opens its nearly $1 billion Red Rock Resort in late March.