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Breaking! Universal Studios On Fire; Will Tonight's MTV Movie Awards Go On?

Posted by Mark Graham at 12:59 AM on June 2, 2008

It's not even 8am and today is already setting up to be a real doozy. Reports are just coming in that the Universal Studios backlot — possibly the Back To The Future set — is on fire right right now. A tipster sent in the above photo and wrote in that he "woke up to loud bangs - almost like tanks were exploding." While there are no reports suggesting that the blaze is anywhere near the Gibson Ampitheater, where the MTV Movie Awards are scheduled to be held later this afternoon, we will certainly keep you posted. Don't forget, so long as the red carpet isn't on fire, we're scheduled to be liveblogging the awards today beginning at 3pm PST. As they say in the business, developing...

 

UPDATE (8:30am): E!'s Marc Malkin is reporting that the MTV Movie Awards will go on and that the hilltop theme park will remain open today. While we would never bet against the power of commerce, we will predict that not too many visitors at the park today will be lining up to "endure the blazing inferno of heart-pounding heat and fury in a 10,000 degree blast of searing pyrotechnics" that the Backdraft ride promises.

UPDATE #2 (8:50am): The power of contextual advertising never ceases to amaze (in red)!

Tags: 2008 mtv movie awards | fires | mtv movie awards | top | universal studios

 

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)

Josephine Wadlow-Evans

Posted June 5, 2008 6:26 PM

The Universal Studio Fire only serves as a deadly reminder that Sydney-siders could well be impacted with their own Fox Studios Australia Fire Ball - not a question of if but 'when'!

Here all 'emergency gates are deadlocked' firefighters not brought up to speed with lists of chemicals/materials on site - two security guards to protect the site 12,000 homes, schools, creches and international sporting complexes. Note all factories and sound/stages pseudo factories are alongside homes, with dozens of shipping containers used as workshops next to resident's homes- be aware Residents wouldn't stand a chance, and just to make it really 'hot an explosive/pyrotechnic factory under the SCG - just waiting to warm your 'derriers'! All this going on 24 hours a day seven days a week and the site continues to operate under it's own regulations - no EPA, Workcover, phone City of Sydney Council for help in the event of explosion, fire or chemical spill, they are under instructions not to document or respond to emergency calls if they relate to Fox Studios Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are on our own.

Josephine Wadlow-Evans

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