Also affected by the Rye Fire that reportedly has claimed 200-acre was CBS' drama 'S.W.A.T.', which is forced to suspend its production due to 'unsafe air near our stages.'
- Dec 6, 2017
AceShowbiz - Raging wildfires in Southern California begin affecting television production in the area. HBO's big-budget series "Westworld", which shoots in Santa Clarita, is forced to temporarily shut down its season 2 production as a 200-acre brush fire broke out on Tuesday morning, December 5.
"Due to nearby wildfires, 'Westworld' stopped production earlier today and will resume filming as soon as it's safe to do so," HBO confirms in a statement.
Not only affecting the production of the sophomore season of the popular sci-fi series, the blazes, which are heavily fueled by the Santa Ana winds, also impact the filming of CBS drama "S.W.A.T.". "Production of @swatcbs has been suspended for the day due to wildfires and unsafe air near our stages," so the Shemar Moore-starring series' writers announce on Twitter. "Safety of cast and crew come first. Prayers to all affected by these fires."
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
The Rye Fire initially was reported to be around five acres before rapidly growing to 200 acres. It started around 10 A.M. near Newhall Ranch Road. The flames resulted in the closing of the 5 freeway, while thousands of Southern Californians fled their homes on Tuesday as a massive brush fire spread through parts of Ventura County. Meanwhile, the Creek Fire in Los Angeles County has grown to 11,000 acres, according to latest updates from fire officials.
Following the shutting down, a slew of "Westworld" actors take to social media to address the issue. Jeffrey Wright, who plays Bernard Lowe on the series, writes on his account, "Got an unexpected and unfortunate day off owing to the #CreekFire & #RyeFire," adding, "Be safe, folks."
Got an unexpected and unfortunate day off owing to the #CreekFire & #RyeFire. Be safe, folks.
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) December 5, 2017
Leading lady Evan Rachel Wood posts a slew of photos depicting the smoky conditions in Santa Clarita in a joking manner. One of the photos features a big dragon breathing fire at everything above. The Dolores Abernathy depicter captions the snaps, "Meanwhile, at work today…"