‘S.W.A.T.’ Suspends Production Due To California Wildfires
As wild fires, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, are ravaging Southern California, one of them has i..
As wild fires, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, are ravaging Southern California, one of them has impacted production of CBS’ freshman drama series S.W.A.T.
The crime drama films at Santa Clarita Studios in Valenica. The Rye Fire, a 200-acre brush fire in the area, has prompted the closure of the 5 Freeway in both directions. It also has gotten close to S.W.A.T. stages, and everyone from the show was sent home for the day as a precaution.
“Production of @swatcbs has been suspended for the day due to wildfires and unsafe air near our stages,” S.W.A.T. writers tweeted. “Safety of cast and crew come first. Prayers to all affected by these fires.” The message was retweeted by co-star Stephanie Sigman with a message to those affected by the fires.
S.W.A.T. , from Sony Pictures TV and CBS TV Studios, got off to a promising ratings start. It was quickly given a Back 7 order, with its full-season pickup subsequently expanded by two extra episodes, from 20 to 22.
The fire, being called the Rye Fire, flared up near Newhall Ranch Road north of the San Fernando Valley around 10 AM. The 5 Freeway closure is creating traffic jams on the major roads. The wind-fueled fire was first reported to be around 5 acres but quickly grew to 200. As of press time, local media has reported it has jumped Newhall Ranch Road, threatening a power station and a shopping center among other structures.
When reached this morning via phone, a Santa Clarita Studios employee said the facility’s Internet was down, apparently because of the fire, which could be seen from the studio offices. The employee told Deadline that S.W.A.T. was the only show scheduled to shoot today at the Valencia facility, which features 16 sound and production offices and has hosted shoots for movies including A Wrinkle in Time, Fast 7 and Inception, and TV series including CSI, Hulu’s Shut Eye and Netflix’s Atypical and Santa Clarita Diet, among others.
The Rye Fire, along with the Creek Fire in Sylmar and Thomas Fire in Ventura County have been wreaking havoc, with thousands of acres scorched and thousands of homes evacuated, according to KTLA. Governor Jerry Brown has declared state of emergency for Ventura County.
The local Los Angeles stations have stayed on fire coverage since their morning shows, knocking off morning programming up and down the dial.
Production of @swatcbs has been suspended for the day due to wildfires and unsafe air near our stages. Safety of cast and crew come first. Prayers to all affected by these fires.
— SWATWritersRoom (@SWATWritersRoom) December 5, 2017
