Officials Rule Universal Studios Fire an Accident
Accidents do happen, some more destructive than others.
Los Angeles fire officials have determined that the blaze that tore through the Universal Studios backlot yesterday morning was set off accidentally by workers making repairs to one of the sets.
“The investigation has ruled out any deliberate actions on the part of anyone,” L.A. County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said at a news conference Monday.
Two workers and a supervisor were using a blowtorch to apply asphalt shingles to the roof of a building on the New York/New Jersey street set, Freeman said. Following protocol, the men waited about an hour after finishing up and, when they saw no signs of fire, they took a break at 4 a.m.
“At 4:43, a security guard in the vicinity of the backlot…noticed the fire and immediately notified the fire department,” Freeman said. “At approximately the same time, the workers returned to the location and also witnessed the fire and confirmed with the security guard that the fire department had been notified.”
Nine firefighters and a sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries. The fire destroyed most of the New York City street, sets used in films such as Back to the Future, Bruce Almighty and To Kill a Mockingbird; a warehouse containing more than 40,000 videos (all of which exist in copies elsewhere, officials said) and the King Kong portion of the Universal Studios tram ride.
Reports have also pegged the rapid spread of the fire, which covered an area the size of two city blocks at one point, on a taxed water-pressue system at the site.
“Obviously it was not effective at preventing the spread of the fire,” Freeman said.
L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said an interdepartmental assessment team has been established to investigate.
“Was there an infrastructure, mechanical or human error problem, or a combination, or none of the above?” Yaroslavsky said. “It has a lot of implications for this fire and other fires.”
Meanwhile, the 2008 MTV Movie Awards and red carpet festivities went on as scheduled yesterday afternoon at the nearby Gibson Amphitheatre, while Universal Studios and the adjacent CityWalk entertainment district reopened today.
Hospital Announces Changes in the Wake of Quaid Mishap
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center – the facility which treated Dennis Quaid’s twins when they were mistakenly overdosed with Heparin – announced several changes to hospital policy Tuesday.
“Although this was a rare event, and attributable to human error, it is also an important opportunity for the entire institution to explore any and all ways we can further improve medication safety,” the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael L. Langberg, said in the statement.
Among the key changes, the hospital will flush catheters in the pediatric unit with saline solution, not the anti-coagulant Heparin. Quaid’s twins, Boone and Zoe, were among the three patients overdosed when their catheters were accidentally flushed with a solution containing 10,000 units per milliliter of Heparin, not the usual 10 units per milliliter.
The hospital has also beefed internal training on the use of “high-alert” medications. Furthermore, all employees involved in the incident were suspended.
“The individuals involved in this incident were immediately relieved of duty pending investigation,” said the statement, “and appropriate disciplinary actions are being taken.”
Langberg also offered his “deepest apologies” to the affected families. “We will continue to work with them on any concerns or questions they may have.”
Also on Tuesday, the Quaids filed suit against Baxter Healthcare Corporation, the makers of Heparin. They are seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
The twins have fully recovered and are now back home, confirms the family’s lawyer.
Movie Review: Sunshine
Sunshine takes place 50 years in the future, and follows a crew of astronauts aboard a spaceship named the Icarus II. The characters are venturing into space to deliver a payload to reignite the sun which is about to burn out, obliterating all mankind. The entire film takes place away from earth as the small crew fights technical difficulties, human error, and nature’s wrath to reach the sun intact and in time to save humanity.
Have you ever gone to a restaurant that says they serve sushi, Italian, Greek, and Indian food? I usually avoid those places because I don’t really believe that one place can do all those vastly different things well. That was pretty much why I wasn’t too sure about going to see Danny Boyle’s Sunshine. It was a huge departure from Boyle’s other successful works, including drug film Trainspotting, thriller 28 Days Later, and the family-friendly Millions, but here’s the deal, when free food and drinks are offered at a press screening, I cannot refuse. Several mini grilled cheeses, tequila shrimp skewers and quarter-sized hamburgers later, I bring you this review. This movie surprised me. It was well-shot, suspenseful, and best of all, pretty scientifically accurate for a space sci-fi film.
This is a good film because of the realistic portrayal of human reaction and interaction within a trapped space. It starts out like the intergalactic Breakfast Club, only with a purpose much bigger than teenage angst and Saturday morning detention, and also with a near impossible escape.
The ending however, is completely unexpected and out of the blue. It was the only thing that I wasn’t too sure if I liked. There was very little setup for the finale (which I cannot explain beyond the fact that there was an abrupt genre change in the third act), but I must say, it was one of the scariest films I have ever seen. I’m sure everyone sitting around me at the screening probably got a good laugh at me peeking through my fingers that were covering my eyes, and listening to the muffled audio through my thumbs in my ears throughout the last 15 minutes of the film, but it was really that scary. I actually considered walking out at some point because I was afraid of the nightmares that I would have all night, but the suspense forced me to stay.
Overall, Sunshine is a good film with mesmerizing views of outer space from your very own seat aboard the claustrophobic Icarus II. The film has a fun website too. Check that out if you get a chance.