Visit our sister site:
Follow us on
Headline, Industry News
Large fire breaks out on lot at Universal Studios
Monday June 02nd 2008LOS ANGELES – A large fire tore through a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, destroying a set from “Back to the Future,” the King Kong exhibit and thousands of videos and reels in a vault.
The blaze broke out on a backlot sound stage in a set featuring New York brownstones facades around 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the 400-acre property, but was contained later in the day, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said.
Roughly 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates stored in a different location, said NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer.
“Nothing is lost forever,” Meyer said.
The videos included very film that Universal has produced and footage from television series’ like “Miami Vice” and “I Love Lucy.”
Firefighters recovered hundreds of those titles from the vault, Freeman said.
The iconic courthouse square from “Back to the Future,” was also destroyed, Freeman said, and the famous clock tower that enabled star Michael J. Fox’s character to time travel was damaged.
Two mock New York and New England streets used for both movie making and tourist displays were “a total loss,” Jacobs said.
Meyer said the park would open at noon Sunday, and on a typical weekend day about 25,000 people visit the theme park.
However, studio tram tours would avoid the King Kong attraction, a favorite stop where the massive ape bellows at passengers and artificial banana scent fills the air, said Universal Studios spokesman Eliot Sekuler.
The fire will not affect the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, which is to broadcast live Sunday night from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, according to the music network.
The fire broke out among New York brownstone facades, where firefighting helicopters swept in for drops and cranes dumped thousands of gallons of water on flames in the early morning hours.
More than 100 firefighters worked to ensure the flames didn’t spread to nearby brush.
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. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air.
At one point the blaze was two city blocks wide, and low water pressure forced firefighters to get reserves from lakes and ponds on the property. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries.
“The water pressure situation was a challenge,” Freeman said. “This fire moved extremely fast.”
Universal Studios is a theme park nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles that has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed, including scenes from “War of the Worlds,” “When Harry met Sally” and “Scrubs.”
Sekuler said a commercial shoot was going on when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Source: The Associated Press
Headline, Industry News
Large fire breaks out on lot at Universal Studios
Monday June 02nd 2008LOS ANGELES – A large fire tore through a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, destroying a set from “Back to the Future,” the King Kong exhibit and thousands of videos and reels in a vault.
The blaze broke out on a backlot sound stage in a set featuring New York brownstones facades around 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the 400-acre property, but was contained later in the day, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said.
Roughly 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates stored in a different location, said NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer.
“Nothing is lost forever,” Meyer said.
The videos included very film that Universal has produced and footage from television series’ like “Miami Vice” and “I Love Lucy.”
Firefighters recovered hundreds of those titles from the vault, Freeman said.
The iconic courthouse square from “Back to the Future,” was also destroyed, Freeman said, and the famous clock tower that enabled star Michael J. Fox’s character to time travel was damaged.
Two mock New York and New England streets used for both movie making and tourist displays were “a total loss,” Jacobs said.
Meyer said the park would open at noon Sunday, and on a typical weekend day about 25,000 people visit the theme park.
However, studio tram tours would avoid the King Kong attraction, a favorite stop where the massive ape bellows at passengers and artificial banana scent fills the air, said Universal Studios spokesman Eliot Sekuler.
The fire will not affect the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, which is to broadcast live Sunday night from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, according to the music network.
The fire broke out among New York brownstone facades, where firefighting helicopters swept in for drops and cranes dumped thousands of gallons of water on flames in the early morning hours.
More than 100 firefighters worked to ensure the flames didn’t spread to nearby brush.
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. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air.
At one point the blaze was two city blocks wide, and low water pressure forced firefighters to get reserves from lakes and ponds on the property. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries.
“The water pressure situation was a challenge,” Freeman said. “This fire moved extremely fast.”
Universal Studios is a theme park nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles that has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed, including scenes from “War of the Worlds,” “When Harry met Sally” and “Scrubs.”
Sekuler said a commercial shoot was going on when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Source: The Associated Press
Leave a Reply
Headline, Industry News
Large fire breaks out on lot at Universal Studios
Monday June 02nd 2008LOS ANGELES – A large fire tore through a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, destroying a set from “Back to the Future,” the King Kong exhibit and thousands of videos and reels in a vault.
The blaze broke out on a backlot sound stage in a set featuring New York brownstones facades around 4:30 a.m. Sunday at the 400-acre property, but was contained later in the day, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said.
Roughly 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates stored in a different location, said NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer.
“Nothing is lost forever,” Meyer said.
The videos included very film that Universal has produced and footage from television series’ like “Miami Vice” and “I Love Lucy.”
Firefighters recovered hundreds of those titles from the vault, Freeman said.
The iconic courthouse square from “Back to the Future,” was also destroyed, Freeman said, and the famous clock tower that enabled star Michael J. Fox’s character to time travel was damaged.
Two mock New York and New England streets used for both movie making and tourist displays were “a total loss,” Jacobs said.
Meyer said the park would open at noon Sunday, and on a typical weekend day about 25,000 people visit the theme park.
However, studio tram tours would avoid the King Kong attraction, a favorite stop where the massive ape bellows at passengers and artificial banana scent fills the air, said Universal Studios spokesman Eliot Sekuler.
The fire will not affect the 2008 MTV Movie Awards, which is to broadcast live Sunday night from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, according to the music network.
The fire broke out among New York brownstone facades, where firefighting helicopters swept in for drops and cranes dumped thousands of gallons of water on flames in the early morning hours.
More than 100 firefighters worked to ensure the flames didn’t spread to nearby brush.
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. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air.
At one point the blaze was two city blocks wide, and low water pressure forced firefighters to get reserves from lakes and ponds on the property. Three firefighters suffered minor injuries.
“The water pressure situation was a challenge,” Freeman said. “This fire moved extremely fast.”
Universal Studios is a theme park nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles that has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed, including scenes from “War of the Worlds,” “When Harry met Sally” and “Scrubs.”
Sekuler said a commercial shoot was going on when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Source: The Associated Press
Leave a Reply
Advertisements
