On February 25, 1987, the successful operation of a smoke detector provided the early warning that mitigated a potential multiple death fire in the La Posada Hotel in McAllen, Texas. Though the fire caused approximately 150,000 dollars in damages, 155-160 occupants were evacuated with only one serious injury. The fire was caused by smoking in bed and sent heavy smoke throughout most of the hotel. Key negative factors in the fire included the lack of self-closing doors between guest rooms and corridors, open stairwells, and the lack of sprinklers and fire alarms systems. Key positive factors included smoke detectors in each room, light fire loading, fire resistive construction, and an unusually high proportion of occupants familiar with the hotel.