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MORE than 400 firefighters in Los Angeles tackled a large fire at Universal Studios in Hollywood – an accidental fire thought to have been caused by unsafe hot work operations.
The blaze at the film-making site and theme park in Burbank happened on 1 June. It broke out in the early morning in a backlot warehouse being used as a soundstage. Street façades used in films, and which also featured in behind-the-scenes tours, were destroyed. Some 40,000 videos and film reels were also lost.
The fire was contained to the backlot through a combination of ground-based firefighting and helicopter water-drops, but it reportedly burned for more than 12 hours before being fullyextinguished.
According to reports, fire crews faced explosion risks from compressed gas containers, propane tanks and the fuel tanks of private vehicles exposed to the intense heat. In addition, crews experienced low water pressure and had to obtain water supplies from lakes on the 400-acre site.
With thick black smoke generated by the fire, air quality tests were carried out as a precautionary measure amid concerns that people living nearby might be harmed by noxious fumes.
As Fire Risk Management went to press, the investigation into the incident was continuing, with Los Angeles County fire chief Michael Freeman reportedly saying that the blaze was caused accidentally by three workers who had been using ‘heating tools’ on the roof of a building façade.
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