Credit: Universal StudiosAs wildfires continue to work their way through Los Angeles, Universal Studios Hollywood has announced its closure.
The past 24 hours have seen fires break out across the Los Angeles area, with the largest occurring in Pacific Palisades. Tens of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate and the Los Angeles Fire Department has requested all off-duty members to report their availability to help battle the blazes.
Emergency services are currently battling three primary blazes. While the fire in the Palisades has burned through more than 2,900 acres at the time of writing, the Hurst fire currently spans 500 acres, and the Eaton fire in Altadena has grown to 1,000 acres in just a few hours.
Complicating matters is the fact that firefighters are battling high winds, with gusts up to 100 mph. Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency.
Universal Studios Hollywood Announces Temporary Closure
In the midst of the chaos, theme parks in the area are responding accordingly. Universal Studios Hollywood has just announced its closure today (January 8), with its shopping and dining district, Universal CityWalk, also affected.
Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed today as a result of the extreme winds and fire conditions. We will continue to assess the situation and expect to open for business tomorrow. The safety of our team members and our guests is our top priority.
Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed today as a result of the extreme winds and fire conditions. We will continue to assess the situation and expect to open for business tomorrow. The safety of our team members and our guests is our top priority.
— Universal Studios Hollywood (@UniStudios) January 8, 2025
The park – located in Universal City – currently expects to reopen tomorrow. However, Universal has stressed that it will continue to assess the situation and respond accordingly to ensure the safety of both its team members and guests.
Home to the likes of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD, and the world-famous Studio Tour, Universal Studios Hollywood is no stranger to fires. In 2008, a fire broke out on the park and studio’s backlot after a worker used a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles.
While the flames were extinguished within 24 hours, the fire destroyed a three-acre section of the backlot, including King Kong Encounter, 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and film copies, and—as per a 2019 exposé from The New York Times Magazine—118,000 to 175,000 audio master tapes.
Southern California is prone to wildfires. Back in September, a fire dubbed The Airport Fire was visible from the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. “This is our current view,” said a Disneyland Resort guest sharing images on Reddit. “It’s so crazy how close these fires are.”
Stay tuned for more updates.