Major fire at Universal Studios

[TWDuke]

I’m pretty sure Universal Studios Hollywood is in Universal City, not Studio City (although neither is an incorporated city, just like Hollywood isn’t). In any case, if you live in the area you might have noticed that there’s a world-famous tourist attraction there, not to mention a big chunk of local history, so it’s not too surprising it gets more attention than a run-of-the-mill brush fire.

[mobo85]

Universal is in Universal City. (Ask for Babs.)

The cause of the fire was announced: a blowtorch being used by welders repairing a roof.

[smiling_bandit]

I do wonder why they weren’t using Fireproof storage for the film vault et. al.

[guizot]

@TWDuke

I’m pretty sure Universal Studios Hollywood is in Universal City, not Studio City (although neither is an incorporated city, just like Hollywood isn’t).

They call it “Universal City” simply because Universal Studios is there. Studio City is part of an incorporated city, namely, Los Angeles. Universal Studios is actually not in any city at all. It’s an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, so the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power doesn’t have much control of water pressure there, which hampered efforts to fight the fire. (And it isn’t the first time this has happened.) Universal Studios is surrounded by Studio City, Burbank and Griffith Park (which recently also had much larger and–in my opinion–much more lamentable fire. They just call it “Universal City” because they need to call it something. As a cab driver I had to know these things (by D.O.T. laws), and had to know the Thomas Guide inside and out. The yellow parts mean: “This place is no city at at all.”

[NAF1138]

@guizot

They call it “Universal City” simply because Universal Studios is there. Studio City is part of an incorporated city, namely, Los Angeles. Universal Studios is actually not in any city at all. It’s an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, so the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power doesn’t have much control of water pressure there, which hampered efforts to fight the fire. (And it isn’t the first time this has happened.) Universal Studios is surrounded by Studio City, Burbank and Griffith Park (which recently also had much larger and–in my opinion–much more lamentable fire. They just call it “Universal City” because they need to call it something. As a cab driver I had to know these things (by D.O.T. laws), and had to know the Thomas Guide inside and out. The yellow parts mean: “This place is no city at at all.”

Hey, they have their own (understaffed) fire department and police department and answer to the board of supervisors rather than city hall. That’s enough for me to say Universal City is it’s own place. If it WAS actually part of the Valley, it would be in North Hollywood. Studio City Ends at Vineland 2 blocks west.

I live in North Hollywood about 1.5 miles north of Universal. The fire was scary at the time because it was both huge and smelled like chemicals. (The giant plume of black smoke looked really cool from my balcony though) God only know what got released into the air. The biggest wonder right now, is why there wasn’t enough water pressure to put out the fire quickly before it spread to the vaults. The times said this morning that the DWP was doing everything it could to pump up the pressure but it wasn’t helping.

[Cuckoorex]

@guizot

???

I’m trying to say that it’s not all that important that some sets got burned down. More important to me is that the smoke just makes the usual smog all the worse.

Maybe you thought “I’m over the hill” to mean “I’m getting on in years.” It meant, in this case, “I live over the hill from Universal Studios.” Literally.

Universal Studios is not in Hollywood. It’s in Studio City. I live in East Hollywood. There is a hill between us. Specifically, the hill that has that sign on it (“HOLLYWOOD”).

I did indeed think you meant that you were getting on in years; after all, that would also make biking and jogging hard on the lungs. Sorry!

[guizot]

@NAF1138

Hey, they have their own (understaffed) fire department and police department and answer to the board of supervisors rather than city hall. That’s enough for me to say Universal City is it’s own place. If it WAS actually part of the Valley, it would be in North Hollywood. Studio City Ends at Vineland 2 blocks west.

True, now that I look over my dog-eared Thomas guide. In fact, the NoHo Red line station is essentially across the street from the “entrance” to Universal Studios. All those places just get mixed up in my mind as one expanse of undifferentiated homogeneous area of 7-11s and fast food joints. I avoid it as much as possible. Unfortunately I have friends who live there. Unfortunately for them more than for me.

[NAF1138]

@guizot

True, now that I look over my dog-eared Thomas guide. In fact, the NoHo Red line station is essentially across the street from the “entrance” to Universal Studios. All those places just get mixed up in my mind as one expanse of undifferentiated homogeneous area of 7-11s and fast food joints. I avoid it as much as possible. Unfortunately I have friends who live there. Unfortunately for them more than for me.

HA! I know the Valley better than I would like . I grew up there and, no matter how many times I move away (and I have moved away a lot) I keep ending up back there. NoHo, Studio City, & Sherman Oaks aren’t too bad, but I agree once you get out of those areas it’s a lot like one giant strip mall.