With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
UPDATE: Universal Backlot & Buildings Continue to Burn
()
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 or otherwise are believed to be completely erroneous, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Currently over 400 firefighters are on scene from multiple units in LA County and City, and so far only three people have been injured (two with minor burns and one with heat exhaustion). Despite all their efforts, they estimate the fire will burn for at least another hour while they work to contain it. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky called it a "complicated fire"--one made more difficult perhaps by trouble with adequate water pressure to douse the flames.
Support for LAist comes from
As of right now, the major damage includes the destruction of New York Street, and the total loss of Courthouse Square and the inside of the King Kong attraction. Right now the fire is engulfing a video vault, which contains video archives encased in plastic--it is the plastic that is creating the thick, black smoke.
City Councilman Tom LaBonge added during the press conference that when he woke up this morning in his Silver Lake home and saw the smoke that it "looked like a bomb had exploded in the San Fernando Valley." In fact, not only did it look treacherous, but many in the area reported hearing the loud booms of explosions.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist