CelebrityWorld

The fire that destroyed the back lot of Universal Studios is being blamed on sparks from a blow torch used to repair parts of the New York Street set. Fire crews responed within minutes, but were unable to keep enormous flames from engulfing the entire set. The Universal lot, the largest in Hollywood, has had other experiences with fires, the most recent in 1997, and seven major bazes since 1937.

Extent of the damages are still unknown, but the fire is being called an unfortunate accident by studio officials. The studio has it’s own fire department, but required the additional assistance of more than 400 other fire professionals to control the flames. Sunday’s blaze took more than 12 hours to get under control, and a lack of water pressure is being blamed as one of the reasons for extending the length of time to extinguish the flames.

On Monday, the studio was conducting business as usual, with the opening of it’s popular theme park, and continuation of projects in production. But studio executives spent much of the day evaluating the damage and trying to access the extent of the damages. A more detailed accounting of the losses are expected by the end of the week.

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