Major Fire at Universal Studios
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (AP) — A large fire raged on a back lot at Universal Studios on Sunday, devouring several movie sets and the theme park's King Kong attraction, officials said.
Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Daryl Jacobs said at least one building had burned and as many as three blocks of movie facades were destroyed.
Two mock New York and New England streets used for movie making and tourist displays were "a total loss," he said.
The blaze broke out just before dawn on a sound stage at the 400-acre property, fire Capt. Frank Reynoso said. There was at least one explosion.
More than 100 firefighters were trying to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby brush, Reynoso said. One firefighter was hospitalized for unspecified injuries.
Sekuler said the theme park would open Sunday, though the studio tour would not go to the King Kong part of the attraction. He said a commercial shoot was going on when the fire broke out. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Update: The MTV Movie Awards is scheduled to be broadcast today from the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal and stars such as Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr. and Edward Norton are slated to appear. MTV has confirmed the awards show will continue as planned.
Further Update: Sister City regulars Zev Yaroslavsky, Tom LeBong and Eliot Sekuler all have something to say about the fire.
Labels: universal city, universal studios
Posted by Michael Higby @ 6/01/2008 10:03:00 AM
10 Comments:
Our former award winner Eliot Sekuler is earning his pay today. Plus Lummis Day is getting underway in Highland Park.
Thanks for failing to mention that the park and City Walk opened at noon today.
Isn't that pretty important?
"Sekuler said the theme park would open Sunday, though the studio tour would not go to the King Kong part of the attraction."
12:36 (a-k-a Red Spot) yes, everyone read THAT part. It's the 12noon part that's relevant.
Way to be thorough you guys.
12:36 not me.
It's 2:35 now, and perhaps it's time to let the readers (all 15 of them) know that the park may not open at all today.
Mayor Sam, why didn't you do a story on the rather shocking results of Laura Chick's animal shelter audit?
She said that there'd be even more to come. The Daily News did a story on it. The Times is poking around. Why not Mayor Sam, given the sometimes tedious stories you do. I recognize that Mayor Sam is not journalism, but this is an important story, given the millions that it could be bringing in.
Please explain.
So Sekuler works and the rest of you losers complain? That how that works?
Actually, 12:07 Smarty pants, the park never reopened, after people sat and waiting for hours... although only a dummy would rely on this blog for up to the date Universal Studio info.
due to Fire Dept. warnings about smoke from the burned videos. How sad, the set for Back to the Future was Destroyed, and the NY streets, New England streets... sounds like a working crew with an electrical fire?
No, only a dummy would say that a theme park that was undergoing a BAZILLION alarm fire covered by media nationwide would "reopen" sometime that same day, when it's taking 200-300 fire fighters and trucks from 30 miles away to put the fire down.
Is he trying to get people killed?
What a ditz for dragging people out there for nothing. I think after a situation like that, when it was already common knowledge that there were water pressure problems when the fire first started, it would have been mercenary insanity to open any part of teh park and expose thousands of people to potential danger in the process.
Some flak apparently had a kegger the night before the PR classes on emergency management and stayed home with a hangover.
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