Universal Studios Says Fire Won’t Affect Family Travelers

An early morning fire that broke out Sunday, June 1 on the back lot of Universal Studios Hollywood, destroyed several iconic sets, video vaults and parts of the theme park’s studio tour. Eliot Sekuler, vice president of public relations for Universal Studios Hollywood, said families planning a visit will not be affected; indeed, Universal Studios opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, to hundreds of visitors.

The fast-moving fire completely destroyed the historic New York streetscape set, the courthouse square from Back to the Future and the 22-year-old King Kong attraction.

Hampered by low water pressure, more than 400 firefighters from four fire departments fought the blaze for 12 hours. Sekuler said the “stubborn” fire was especially hard to extinguish at the video vault building; thousands of videos were destroyed. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

While many famous sets were ruined, the majority of the park is unharmed. Of the park’s 391 acres, Sekuler said, “only three and a half acres were affected. Less than 1 percent [of the park] burned.”

Sekuler added that tours will be unaffected. “Studio tours are always flexible,” he said, due to live productions that frequently force tours to re-route and bypass certain areas of the studio.

Currently, all rides are open including the new Simpsons Ride. Sekuler says Universal Studios Hollywood plans to rebuild the New York streetscape entirely, and replace the King Kong exhibit with another attraction—a common lifecycle of old Universal attractions that are regularly refreshed with new ones.

All visitors turned away Sunday or who had bought Sunday admission tickets will receive a complimentary ticket good for 45 days. For visitors who won’t return within 45 days, Sekular said “requests [for reimbursement] will be examined on a case-by-case basis and resolved with all reasonable flexibility.” Call 800-UNIVERSAL for additional information or visit www.universalstudioshollywood.com.