A fire erupted last night at Universal Studios Hollywood, according to the LA Times, and was thankfully contained and extinguished before it became another in a line legendary fires of the studio’s history.
What’s Happening:
- A small fire broke out late last night at Universal Studios Hollywood around 11:40 PM, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
- Engines responded quickly and were able to extinguish the fire, which occurred in the upper lot near a parking structure close to Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.
- The fire was linked to a Conex cargo box that ignited that was in place for an unnamed construction project. Fortunately, there were no injuries and damage to the park was minimal and not expected to affect park operations.
- According to ABC7, a witness recorded the fire on her cell phone, showing off the smoke and flames before the fire was put out.
- Universal Studios Hollywood is no stranger to fires. In fact, 13 years ago to the day, a massive fire broke out in the backlot on June 1st, 2008. That fire was substantially larger, destroying popular New York Street Backlot Sets, a film vault housing master music recordings from Etta James, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and others, and the original King Kong experience that opened on the Studio Tram Tour in 1986. Throughout the history of the studio lot, there have been nine major fires that caused significant damage, with the first dating back to 1932.
Backlot Fire June 1st, 2008
- While last night’s fire was smaller, park and movie fans are grateful that the 5 engines who responded to the blaze were able to extinguish the fire quickly, fearing another significant event like those major fires of the past.
- The cause of the fire is still unknown and being investigated.
What They’re Saying:
- Audrey Eig, Universal Studios Hollywood: “There was no damage, and no rides or attractions were affected. We will open, business as usual.”