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Fire raging at Universal Studios

01 June 2008 17:28 (UTC +04:00)

No injuries have been reported at the 230-acre site, which saw filming for King Kong and The War of the Worlds.
Helicopters have been dropping water on to the burning structures, and television pictures showed flames leaping into the air as a thick cloud of smoke covered the site.
Hollywood history
James Barnes of the LA County Fire Department said the fire had virtually destroyed at least one building, and firefighters were battling to stop the flames from spreading to adjoining structures.
He said the fire could now be affecting a King Kong ride at the studios.
"There’s some Hollywood history going up in smoke today and we’re doing our best to minimalise the damage," he told the BBC.
Reports suggest the blaze has damaged Universal’s New York street scene.
There are indications that the sound stage had recently been used for filming, says the BBC’s Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles.
It is likely that there would have been a good deal of flammable material and props, as well as fuel supplies, on the site, our correspondent adds.
Behind-the-scenes tours of the studios are a long-established tradition still popular with visitors today.