2008 Universal Studios fire

On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American movie studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. 
The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm shingles. He left before checking that all spots had cooled, and a three-alarm fire broke out. 
Nine firefighters and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy sustained minor injuries. The fire ended after 12 hours.
Universal Pictures said that the fire destroyed a three-acre () portion of the Universal backlot, including the ride "King Kong Encounter" and 40,000 to 50,000 archived digital video and movie copies. 
A 2019 "New York Times" article said that the fire also destroyed 118,000 to 175,000 audio master tapes belonging to Universal Music Group (UMG). This included original recordings belonging to some of the best-selling artists worldwide.