Indian Head Casino reopens after electrical fire

An electrical short in a ticket-redemption machine sparked a fire in a conference room at the Indian Head Casino early Thursday morning, and while a sprinkler system helped douse it quickly, some water damage in the office area prompted closure of the casino for much of the day.

Warm Springs Fire Chief Dan Martinez said the fire was reported around 5 a.m. on the office side of the new casino building along Highway 26, which replaced the casino location at Kah-Nee-Ta Resort.

Martinez told radio station KWSO at least one sprinkler head activated, causing water damage on the office side, but the fire was isolated to the conference room where it began. He said the short occurred in a new ATM-style machine that converts winning tickets into cash.

Janell Smith, guest services manager at the casino, said the fire “caused large amounts of black smoke and water damage in the back of the house,” but firefighters were able to keep it from reaching the casino floor.

Smith said the casino reopened at 3 p.m.,after results of an air quality test were received.