The Bellagio is On Fire!

A massive fire broke out at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Thursday evening, lighting up the sky and forcing The Strip to shut down for a while.

Clark County firefighters got the call at 10:46 p.m. and were reportedly on the scene in minutes. First responders were initially hampered in their quest to snuff out the blaze by gusty winds and other factors.

"Firefighting efforts were extremely difficult due to the location of the fire and access to the location," Clark County Fire Department assistant chief Larry Haydu told ABC News.

Roof Ablaze

The roof of the iconic hotel and casino took the brunt of the damage. More than six dozen firemen were on hand to contain the blaze and stop it from spreading elsewhere.

Media reports indicate that the fire was under control in less than half an hour.

The Las Vegas Strip was packed with onlookers, many who stopped gambling at nearby Las Vegas Strip casinos to go outside and gawk at the scene.

Typical Poker Player Attitude

One gambler who would rather keep playing than get out of harm's way was poker pro Todd Brunson, who was playing poker at the Bellagio when the fire broke out. The chip off the old block took to Twitter with an immediate update, hesitant to leave the casino until his opponents ran out of cash.

"Playing at Bellagio. The building is on fire. I'm not leaving while these guys still have chips."

Apparently, nobody was injured in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Famous Hotel/Casino

The Bellagio Hotel and Casino at 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd. is one of the largest in the world over with almost 4,000 rooms to accommodate guests. Its categorized as a high-end casino resort complete with a man-made lake that features dancing fountains.

The fire on the roof was toward the south side of the 8-acre lake and confined to a shopping and restaurant annex of the Bellagio. Authorities evacuated the retail area, but gambling and other operations were not affected.

Lots of Action Lately

The fire followed an incident at the Bellagio last month that put the hotel and casino on temporary lockdown. A robbery at a jewelry store had tourists fleeing the scene in a panic when it was believed that shots were fired.

Three men - one reportedly wearing a pig mask - allegedly burgled their way into the store in an attempt to swipe expensive jewelry. It wasn't actually gunshots that were heard, but the jewelry display cases being smashed with sledgehammers, Las Vegas police theorized.

The loud noises mistaken for gunfire created chaos in the early morning attempted theft, but police reported no injuries and stated that three suspects were arrested.