Universal Studios Hollywood Closes for First Time Since COVID Pandemic as L.A. Fires Rage On

Universal Studios Hollywood closed its gates on Wednesday, Jan. 8, as several deadly fires raged throughout Los Angeles.

“Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk will be closed today as a result of the extreme winds and fire conditions,” the theme park announced in a statement posted to its website, writing that “the safety of our team members and our guests is our top priority.”

The Universal park closure marks the first time it has shut down since the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Universal Studios Hollywood shuttered for over a year, beginning in March 2020 until April 2021.

The park hopes to reopen tomorrow, Jan. 9, their statement adds.

Starting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, five separate wildfires have burned thousands of acres throughout the L.A. area, per CalFires. The largest of the five, the Palisades Fire, has prompted the evacuation of 30,000 residents of Pacific Palisades and nearby neighborhoods. Two civilians have died, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department chief Anthony C. Marrone.

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The largest blaze is the Palisades Fire, which has burned nearly 3,000 acres of land since it was sparked around 10:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 7. As of 5:16 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8, the blaze is 0% contained.

The Eaton Fire, also known as the Close Fire, was also 0% contained on Wednesday morning, having burned nearly 2,300 acres of land since beginning around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Just north of the Palisades Fire is the Woodley Fire, which began in the Sepulveda Basin neighborhood around 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday. As of the latest status report, the blaze was 75 acres in size.

Farther north is the Hurst Fire, which is 500 acres in size. The blaze began just after 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and was 0% contained as of about 5 a.m.

A fifth blaze, the Tyler Fire, is burning west of L.A. near Coachella. The 15-acre blaze is 50% contained.