Wildfire Rages Near Famous Hollywood Sign

A fast-moving brush fire erupted in southern California Friday, sending smoke seeping into the Warner Bros. studios and towering high in the sky behind the famous Hollywood sign before losing intensity.

The 150-acre blaze started near a corporate housing complex east of Universal City, south of the Warner Bros. studios complex in Burbank.

"The studio is fairly filled with smoke at the moment," said Scott Rowe, vice president of corporate communications for Warner Bros. Entertainment. "It's at our back door. I think a couple of our entrances have been closed at this point and we're operating normally but that could change any minute."

The fire was burning on the back side of the hill that holds the giant white Hollywood lettering but was not expected to cross the crest, and by late afternoon the landmark appeared to be well out of any danger.

Nonetheless, dozens of people gathered at the foot of the hills to take pictures of the sign and smoke.

"If it burns, we would be losing an icon," said Russ Mitchell, a Los Angeles resident.

Some 200 firefighters with five helicopters battled the flames, Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers said. There were no reports of structural damage, he said.

CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports the cause of the fire is still not known, but that Southern California is a tinderbox. Rainfall has been far below normal this year, and now the fire season is starting far earlier than normal.

"I don't know the exact last date we've seen a fire in this particular area but the hills are prone to fires throughout the year," Myers said. "This is just a little bit earlier than what we normally see."

The Hollywood Hills bisect Los Angeles, forming the southern side of the San Fernando Valley.