Welder’s Torch Starts Blaze at Universal Studios; 5 Hurt

A welder’s torch set off a small fire Wednesday at the “E.T.” attraction under construction at Universal Studios, causing minor injuries to five workers and $150,000 in damage, fire officials said.

The workers, who suffered smoke inhalation, were taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, where they were treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The damage is not expected to delay the planned opening of the “E.T.’s Adventure” attraction in June, said Joan Bullard, a spokeswoman for Universal Studios. Inspired by the movie “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” the ride will take visitors on a journey with the title character from Earth to his home planet, Bullard said.

The fire began shortly before 8:30 a.m. when a construction worker used a welding torch to solder an iron support structure behind a hollow polyurethane set of a hillside, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Bob Haskell.

A spark from the torch ignited the set. Flames spread as workers tried to douse the fire with an extinguisher, Haskell said. The burning polyurethane produced thick black smoke that filled the four-story sound stage and forced the evacuation of about 75 people.

“The whole place was charged with smoke,” Haskell said. “The fire wasn’t that big; it was a matter of finding it in the smoke.”

About 30 firefighters, some responding from a county fire station at the Universal City complex, extinguished the blaze in 20 minutes.

They were aided by an automatic sprinkler system that kept the blaze under control, Haskell said.

The fire broke out about three blocks from where a devastating arson fire caused $25 million of damage in November and destroyed the historic New York Street set.