Hundreds of firefighters from across the Los Angeles area battled for many hours Sunday on a backlot at Universal Studios, but had yet to control the massive fire that consumed some soundstages and attractions in the famous movie theme park.

The fire, first reported at a soundstage about 4:45 a.m., destroyed much of the New York City streetscape and burned through the King Kong segment of the popular backlot tour in the park, said fire officials at the scene.

A warehouse housing thousands of videotapes burned intensely five hours into the fire, but "nothing irreplaceable was lost," according to Ron Meyer, president of Universal Studios.

More than 400 firefighters laid hoses into nearby ponds and reservoirs, as they grappled with low water pressure while battling flames towering about 30 meters in the air. A mushroom cloud rose hundreds of meters in the air.

Fire officials recommended that residents living north and west of the sprawling Universal Studios consider self-evacuating due to acrid smoke erupting from tens of thousands of burning videotapes and their plastic cases.

"We want to make everyone aware that, if they're receiving some of the smoke, to close their windows -- if it gets too bad, they can self-evacuate," said Los Angeles County Fire Captain Mike Brown.

Six hours after the first report of the fire, flames continued to leap from a large warehouse on the lower section of the massive facility, which houses one of Hollywood's major studios and its namesake theme park.

At least one sound stage and several other buildings, including facades meant to look like New York and the King Kong exhibit, were believed to have been lost within about 30 minutes, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Darryl Jacobs.

Jacobs estimated that nearly one square kilometer had burned and said that firefighters were making an "aggressive attack" on the blaze, despite early reports of low water pressure. No serious injuries were reported.

The theme park, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Los Angeles, is expected to open from noon because of the fire, park officials said. The park normally opens at 9 a.m. and sees 25, 000 visitors on a typical weekend day.

But Los Angeles city council member Tom LaBonge, who rushed to the scene after the fire broke out, told reporters that smoke was so bad in the morning that theme park goers may be better advised to stay out of the area.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2008)