TMZ got hold of the 911 call when the fire Universal Studios was reported. It's amazing how calm everything sounds. &righticonhover=0x333232&text=0x333232&slider=0xF2F2F2&track=0xFFFFFF&border=0xFFFFFF&loader=0x838383&soundFile=http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_audio/060308_universal_911.mp3"> It's interesting to note that Universal Studios is never mentioned in this call, only Universal City, which is often incorrectly thought of as Universal Studios and the neighborhood of Cahuenga Pass (it's only a general area). The reason she asks for the address first is that she can easily dispatch fire engines to the......

See more photos here | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist Yesterday's all-day fire at Universal Studios, which engulfed two city movie-set blocks (destroying a part of the King Kong tour and one of the Back to the Future sets), was finally knocked down late in the afternoon. An investigation will be going into what caused the blaze, but also one is being called to look into the low-pressure water system that ultimately hindered firefighters in......

For residents of the South East San Fernando Valley and adjacent environs, the stench and sight of smoke from the fire that broke out in the early morning hours on the backlot of Universal Studios has dominated the skies today; for most everyone else in Los Angeles this story has dominated the news. LAist photographer Tom Andrews captured these images of the Universal Studios area; the site remains closed to the public while fire crews......

The Entrance to Universal is dominated by a massive plume of smoke and firefighters | AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian The fire that broke out early this morning continues to burn on the Universal Studios backlot in Universal City. Per a press conference held near the scene just after nine this morning, the fire began between 4:30-4:45 this morning on a soundstage. No shooting was underway when the fire broke out, and rumors of bomb threats......

It looks very smooth in real life, doesn't transfer to video well If you weren't sleeping on the northbound Metro Red Line between Hollywood/Highland and Universal last week, then you may have noticed a Speed Racer movie trailer all of the sudden playing inside the tunnel. Officially announced today, the high-tech subway tunnel advertising tool is a first in North America for this type of digital advertising. It is "an LED system composed of......

Deacon Booze has returned! Yes, your favorite Steely-Dan-inspired happy hour listing is back on track for March, and we still need your hott hott tips! I recently fell victim to a devil of a gastrointestinal virus (sexy!), and so was unable to ingest any kind of liquid other than Top Ramen broth, but I am happy to say that my convalescence is complete, and I am ready to drink. And drink. And drink! Send......

As reported yesterday on LAist, a car-to-car shooting took place on the 101 Freeway between Hollywood and Universal City following a verbal dispute that took place between the occupants of two vehicles on Hollywood Boulevard. 26-year-old Bunthan Roeung was shot by one of the four black male occupants of a black Chevy Impala, and was taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai hospital. The vehicle exited the freeway at Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, and the driver......

Tomorrow is the 23rd Annual LA Marathon, and the multiple races taking place in the city as a part of the day-long event are going to compromise a great many of our streets. Many street closures will begin in the overnight and early morning hours, and the LADOT is expected to enforce parking restrictions aggressively. According to the City of LA's official LA Marathon info: "Impounding of vehicles will begin no later than 2:00 am.......

To have a continuous bike path along the LA River, it must pass next to Universal Studios. The maroon line marks the disputed path. Back in an October 2006 interview with the mysterious LA City Nerd, we asked a question of hope: when can we realistically bike commute via the LA River Trail from the Valley to Downtown LA? The nerd was not optimistic saying that "the LA River trail may never connect completely......

'Santa Monica Subway: Alternative 4' is one of the 17 routes presented by Metro Last night, a packed room of community members at LACMA listened attentively to Metro present nineteen options to serve the Westside. This first in a series of three public input meetings (two more meetings next week) was exciting -- wheels are in motion to get Los Angeles moving, even if that reality be around ten years from now. One of......

Get your green drink on tonight. WORDS Author and USC professor Gina Nahai and actress Bahar Soomekh (Crash) read from Nahai’s latest book Caspian Rain – about a family falling apart just before the Islamic revolution in Iran. Immediately following, there’s a discussion of the changing lives of women of the Middle East, and relationships between Iran’s Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as how these communities interact in Los Angeles, “home to the largest......

Approximately 5,000 people came to the Gibson in Universal City and paid between $25-$250 to hear presidential hopeful (and TRAILS the California frontrunner, if you believe recent polls) Barack Obama explain why he's in the race. His speech brought tears from women, commanded several standing ovations, and even made this little kid near us shut his trap for 45 minutes. Bon Jovi wannabe's The Goo Goo Dolls played, James Brown wannabe Ne-Yo performed, and......

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is scheduled to make a stop in Los Angeles Monday at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City Walk. From his campaign: Barack Obama in Los Angeles Monday, December 10th Doors open 6:00 p.m. With performances by Ne-Yo and The Goo Goo Dolls Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City Walk 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608 For security reasons, do not bring bags. No signs or banners permitted. Purchase......

Earlier this week, CBS2 happened to be hovering over Universal City right after this four car collision occurred. One car is a bonfire, onlookers gawk from the sidewalk and traffic rolls by like it is any other day (check out the car that drives within feet of the fire at 1:47). Video taken from CBS2 news coverage......

" "Just because you've rolled horse manure in powdered sugar doesn't mean you have a doughnut": people aren't very happy with the Farm Bill, and yet the Senate still seems set on passing a totally inadequate "reformed" bill that continues to subsidize Big Agriculture at the expense of our nation's health. City officials are "identifying" Muslim communities across the city -- but it's not profiling, it's "community engagement"!! Those kooky kids at City Hall!......

Those who believe we shouldn't be covering Orange County, cover your eyes for a few seconds: okay! O.C. Sheriff Mike Carona, his wife, and many others used the Sheriff's office as a cover to accept gifts, loans, and other compensation totalling $350,000. Carona has been indicted on ten separate federal counts of corruption. That big rig crash on the 405 at La Tijera was a real doozy -- the accident wasn't cleaned up until......

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend, who lives in the NoHo Arts District, about bars in proximity to the Red Line and she mentioned a dream that many share: "You know it was also be sweet if the subway was extended to 1 a.m. or later. We could bar hop into Hollywood and back!" Little known to many, the red line actually has one train that travels beyond 1 a.m. I explained this......

A bit of happy news for our sister site over in Texas: the Austin Chronicle just named Austinist Best Local "Fun" News Site. Yay for the Ist-iverse! The correct term is babes, sir: "Point Break Live!" -- yes that's right, as in the classic 1991 Patrick Swayze-Keanu Reeves film -- is coming to a stage near you! NBC is leaving its longtime home in Burbank for the greener pastures of Universal City, or Campo......

I've been on some damn crowded, sardine-in-the can, packed-to-the-brim buses before; such as the 200 down Alvarado or the 704 down Sunset. Both exasperating, yet, nothing in comparison to the Pico-Union/Echo Park DASH on a Sunday afternoon. "Can I ask, why are you taking pictures?" a woman asked me as I awkwardly moved my arm around in what must have looked like a modern dance as I tried to get an angle for a......

Today in major LA Fire Department events: an early morning structure fire in North Hills sending smoke into the flight path of Van Nuys Airport, a big rig with a trailer overturned on the Southbound Harbor freeway causing a Sig Alert, and a medical emergency in the Hilton Hotel at Universal City where staff mixed ammonia & bleach solutions creating hydrochloric acid (oops!). Is it the second Thursday of the month? Ah, it is!......

A Starbucks in Sherman Oaks as victim of a hit-and-run. You can't deny a blogs influence on local politics and city services these days. Who knew? Kangaroo skin is illegal to sell in California. Sorry Adidas. Celebrity stylist Stacy Young cannot add new allegations against Jamie Foxx in breach of contract case. The Feds have finally arrived to inspect 'Killer King,' or Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. At it again with UCLA and Monkeys......

Universal City, CA - Announced last fall, it is supposed to be the Century City of the Valley. And according to a group named The NBC Universal MTA Project Working Group (a coalition of the surrounding community organizations), it will have 1.47 million square feet of new commercial and residential space, office towers (up to 24 stories tall), a 34 story (445 feet tall) condominium & hotel tower. They also contend that there will......

Loyal LAist reader Evan Price caught this photo of a water main of some sort (we hope that's water) shooting out of the In-N-Out over by Universal City near the Vivid building today around 1:30pm. This is where a lesser blog would make some sort of childish sexual innuendo about liquids gushing in the vicinity of the world's largest porn company, working in a punchline of "Now that's what we call Animal Style", but......

We've suckered another organization to take us seriously and now MTV has not only credentialed LAist on the red carpet during Sunday's Movie Awards up in Universal City, but they have set up a one-of-a-kind Live Blogging Tent for a hand-selected group of folk like us. The key word is live. This is the first year MTV is broadcasting this awards show live, which is one reason there will be just two musical acts.......

A Memorial Weekend BBQ in East Hollywood was my destination yesterday. And since my recent habit has been to use public transit mixed with the bike, that's what I set out to do from my Sherman Oaks flat. First, I was off to Ralphs Fresh Fare at Ventura and Coldwater to pick up some food. I shop, exit and head to my bike. Right then, an escalade pulls up and parks in the fire......

It's more fun than Universal City!......

Dear LAist, Any idea whether or not modest mouse will still be playing the greek this Sunday? Love, Andrea of Burbank Dear Andrea, One of the great things about being LAist is we have the email addresses of everyone important. And we took your email and forwarded it to one person and that person replied in seconds and said that due to the fire, the Modest Mouse show on Sunday, as well as the......

Experimental band Negativland once said that there's no word more powerful in the world than "free". We say they're wrong. We say there's no word more powerful than "holy crap". As in holy crap, there's free movies, free popcorn, and free parking today only at Universal CityWalk. Take the holy crap outta there and all you have are free movies, free popcorn, free parking today only at Universal CityWalk and it seems hum drum,......

A brush fire broke out just over an hour ago in the Hollywood Hills between Universal City, Burbank, and Toluca Lake. The fire broke out around the 3600 block of North Barham Blvd (shown above) according to KTLA. Nothing huge at this point, no evacs, but we're hearing about alot of smoke in the air -- and it ain't no barbecue. The chopper video shows flames creeping closer and closer to traffic. LAFD spokesman......

In case you missed the banners on every major street in town and the commercials on KNBC, it's time for the LA Marathon. Even if your idea of a workout is walking to the TV when the batteries in your remote die, this event is likely to have an impact on your life. About 26,000 runners will pound 26.2 miles of pavement on Sunday morning. That's right, 26.2 miles of street closures for just the......