Universal Studios Fire- How was it started?

Question

Dont post an answer saying dunno. Most thorough analayse gets 10 points!

Answer 1

I think it was started by faulty wiring, gas leakage, or possibly someone who was smoking either a cigar, a cigarette, or a pipe and accidentally forgot to put it out.

Answer 2

Back Lot Fire

This section documents a current event.

Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Main article: 2008 Universal Studios fire

On Sunday June 1st, 2008 a Three Alarm fire broke out[1] on the Back lot. The Los Angeles Fire Department had reported that Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong ride, some structures that make up Courthouse Square & the Video Vault had burnt down. (Not to be confused with the actual Film Vault, The Video Vault contains the duplicates of the films.) Over 400 firefighters [2] from various local fire departments, as well as two helicopters dropping water, had responded to the fire. Eight Firefighters, & One Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy sustained minor injures. It was the seventh serious back lot fire to strike Universal since 1932.

MORE INFO:

On June 1, 2008 an explosion reportedly ignited a four-to-five building fire throughout the backlot studios area in Universal City, California. The New York Street facade, a King Kong exhibit, and the Universal video vault were among the buildings engulfed by flames, causing more than $25 million worth of damage.[1] At least one building has been destroyed by the flames and as many as three blocks of movie facades have been destroyed, including two mock New York and New England streets and Courthouse Square, the set most famously known from the Back to the Future trilogy and the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird.[2] Helicopters have been dropping water on to the burning structures, and television pictures showed flames leaping into the air as a thick cloud of smoke covered the site. This smoke was caused by the burning plastic in the video vault building. In a subsequent press conference, studio president Ron Meyer announced that it was a video vault building, not a film vault, that was destroyed (contrary to earlier reports that suggested the film vault was destroyed or damaged) and that nothing destroyed is considered irreplaceable.[3]



Damage to the sets after the fireNew York Street, which was almost totally destroyed in the fire, dates back to at least 1971, when it appeared as San Francisco in the opening to Dirty Harry, which features Clint Eastwood's famous "Do I feel lucky?" line. Most recently, the street appeared as 1865 Washington, D.C. for National Treasure: Book of Secrets and as fictional Mission City in Transformers. [4]

There is one report of smoke inhalation and three people suffering 'minor injuries' but no fatalities.[5] 400 firefighters battled the blaze, and at least 5 firemen suffered minor injuries, from heat exhaustion and burns. The second fire since the 1990 blaze was finally out after 12 hours, at 4:45 a.m. on Sunday, after firefighters encountered low water pressure. Universal Studios Hollywood and CityWalk were closed on the day itself at the request of the fire department, but were reopened the next day.[6] Destroyed were 40,000 to 50,000 archived videos chronicling Universal's movie and TV classic shows, dating back to the 1920s, including the films Knocked Up and Atonement, the NBC series Law & Order, The Office, Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I. and I Love Lucy.[7][8] [9] Universal Studios' workhorse sets, buildings and rides were lost, however, YouTube stands as de facto memorial to Universal Studios' lost rides and buildings.[10]