Fire alarms bring odd observations

When I got a call Sunday from a tipster that a major evacuation was under way because of a fire at the Hard Rock Hotel, I couldn't resist.

Not that I'm an ambulance chaser. Over the years I've covered my share of bad fires -- some of the worst, in fact, including the 1977 Beverly Hills Supper Club fire near Cincinnati and the 1980 MGM Grand blaze here.

So I was greatly relieved when I got to the scene and realized this wasn't going another one.

It turned out to be a small fire in a construction zone. No injuries were reported.

But what still amazes me, and many a firefighter will back me up on this, is the odd things people do when fire alarms start going off.

Take Montel Williams, the talk-show host. He tweeted.

"Montel and Carlos Santana talk about World Peace as they both sit outside the evacuated Hard Rock Hotel -- Las Vegas (small fire, no worries)," he wrote on his Twitter site.

They were among dozens of evacuees who were outside near ambulances, waiting for an all-clear.

As I was walking into the hotel from the east parking garage, the first thing I noticed was that as many people were going back in as were leaving.

The ruckus didn't deter a young man who had reservations at the hotel but apparently had no reservations that the fire alarm was still going off.

He was pulling his luggage behind him and heading for check-in, come hell or high water.

And there was the hot-and-heavy couple pinned against the wall outside the restrooms, across from the Pink Taco Mexican restaurant.

Fire alarms be damned, they weren't going anywhere.

"Wondering if they bothered to exchange names," tweeted Chris Freeland of Las Vegas, who was following my on-site updates.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Sunday's item about the new nightclub and beach at Encore brought a wave of tips saying the nightclub has been named Switch Beach and the club will be Wet Kiss. Plus, there's chatter that Steve Wynn has purchased another luxury yacht. ...

"Peepshow" co-star Holly Madison, after having brunch at Simon at Palms Place, tweeted on her Twitter site Sunday that she left bearing gifts for newcomer Aubrey O'Day. "Gotta initiate with the local flava," wrote Madison, who took one of Simon's signature junk food desert platters that includes cotton candy, caramel corn, Rice Krispies squares, Fruit Loop treats, and chocolate cookies.

SIGHTINGS

Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, pitching his wine to N9NE Steakhouse (Palms) chef Barry Dakake on Sunday night during a sitdown after Seaver's signing session at Field of Dreams (Forum Shops at Caesars). The wine, a cabernet sauvignon from his boutique vineyard in Northern California, is named GTS, his initials (for George Thomas Seaver).

A family with deep Mets roots showed up with the back of a seat they purchased at Shea Stadium but left empty-handed because they couldn't afford the $150 charge for an autograph. ... Mariah Carey, backstage with singer Matt Goss Saturday at the grand opening of "Matt Goss Live From Las Vegas" at the Palms. Also in attendance: Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, who joined Goss on stage for a few numbers; producer and Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin, MTV alums Daisy Fuentes and Downtown Julie Brown, singer Deborah Gibson and Bravo TV's "Blow Out" star Jonathan Antin. ... Andrea Bowen, who plays Julie Mayer in ABC's "Desperate Housewives," celebrating her brother Cameron's 21st birthday in Las Vegas with family members. They met members of Blue Man Group after sitting up front in the splash zone in ponchos. "Desperate Housewives" season six premieres Sunday, Sept. 27. ... Mary Jo Buttafuoco, in town to promote her new book, at Bobby Slayton's show at Tropicana on Saturday. ... At the "Big 80s Remix" for Big Brothers on Friday night at Lavo (Palazzo): Danny Seraphine of the rock group Chicago, Jeanette Jurado of Expose, Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Broadway star Rex Smith, actor Corbin Bernsen, KVBC-TV, Channel 3, news anchor Kendall Tenney, entertainer Leo Days and magician Steve Dacri and members of Cheap Trick. ... Bernsen, at Jeans to Jewels for Opportunity Village on Saturday night, spontaneously offering up lunch in Hollywood, with signed scripts from "L.A. Law" and "Psyche" for the charity's live auction.