Production Continues Despite Bushfires

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation continued shooting with only one interruption this week despite the massive bushfires causing havoc across Southern California.

A 105,000-acre wildfire has been raging near Santa Clarita, the location of the studios where CSI is filmed, according to the Associated Press. The blaze has now reportedly moved away from residential areas and is 40 percent contained, but the Santa Clarita Studios were on high alert earlier this week. Today all Santa Clarita Valley residents were permitted to return to their homes after the evacuations were cancelled, though some schools are still closed.

Mike Dilorenzo, president of the Santa Clarita Studios, Monday told Variety that the facility was ready for the worst. "We are on full alert due to the fires," he said. "I think everyone is really worried. We've got all our fire hoses hooked up and ready to go." The studios were at "full capacity" at the time, according to the trade paper, with both CSI and HBO series Carnivale in production.

The William Petersen Appreciation Page reported that production was halted on Tuesday morning due to "extremely poor air quality", but shooting had resumed again on Wednesday. The deterioration in air quality is likely to continue, with fire break measures expected to cause "massive amounts of smoke in the valley", according to the Santa Clarita fire updates page.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, where CSI regularly films location scenes, the smoke from the wildfires was clearly visible, according to the Las Vegas Sun. The famous Las Vegas Strip was reportedly coated in a "smoky fog" and air quality rapidly deteriorated throughout the area.

The original news articles can be found at Yahoo! News and Variety.

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