UNIVERSAL CITY : Real Fire Breaks Out at ‘Backdraft’ Attraction
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As 500 tourists watched the staged conflagration at the “Backdraft” attraction at Universal Studios on Thursday, real firefighters were there too--knocking down a genuine fire that erupted in the building’s air conditioning ducts.
An air conditioning contractor working on the roof accidentally started the blaze at about 1:45 p.m. while soldering copper pipe, county fire officials said. In the process, sparks fell into the cardboard air conditioning ducts and started a fire that blew thick black smoke into the popular attraction.
The crowd inside the attraction at Stage 34 and another 300 or so people in the vicinity were evacuated to other parts of the theme park. The fire, which caused an estimated $150,000 in damage, was put out within 15 minutes by county firefighters stationed at Universal Studios. The $10-million attraction will reopen today.
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