2008 Universal Studios fire

Date: June 1, 2008 • Location: Universal City, United States

A fire on the back lot of Universal Studios Hollywood destroyed the King Kong Encounter and a large archive of music and film master recordings.

On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles that were being applied to a facade. The worker left before checking that all spots had cooled, and as a result, a three-alarm fire broke out. Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy sustained minor injuries. The fire was extinguished after 24 hours.