Ashen Memories: The Day the Magic Burned at Burbank’s Columbia Ranch
Columbia Ranch Fire of 1970
If you grew up watching television in the 1960s and 70s, you knew the Columbia Ranch in Burbank—even if you didn’t realize it.
Located at the corner of Hollywood Way and Oak Street, this 40-acre playground was Hollywood’s ultimate neighborhood illusion. It was the place where the Partridge Family bus backed out of the driveway, where Samantha and Darrin Stephens lived their magically domestic life on Bewitched, and where I Dream of Jeannie’s Major Nelson came home from work.
But backlots are inherently fragile ecosystems—built of wood, plaster, paper-mâché, and paint. And no backlot suffered quite as devastating a relationship with fire as the Columbia Ranch. While it survived blazes in 1953, 1970, and 1974, it was the catastrophic inferno of January 30, 1970, that permanently altered the landscape of television history.
Here is the story of the day the music—and the magic—almost died in Burbank.
2:07 PM: The Spark That Changed the Lot
It was an unseasonably clear, windy Friday afternoon in Burbank. At approximately 2:07 p.m., a fire broke out at the "Yuma Hotel" facade on the lot's historic Western Street.
The conditions were a perfect storm for disaster. The Western sets were built entirely of old, dry timber that had been sitting in the California sun since the Ranch opened in 1935. Furthermore, because it wasn't required at the time, none of the outdoor buildings had sprinkler systems installed.
Fanned by heavy winds, the fire tore through the lot like a freight train, generating a massive inferno within minutes.
When Cast Members Became Firefighters
At the time the alarm sounded, multiple TV productions were actively shooting on the lot, including the frontier comedy-drama Here Come the Brides.
As thick columns of black smoke rose over Burbank, visible for miles across the San Fernando Valley, the cast and crew did something extraordinary. Instead of just fleeing, several actors jumped into action alongside the studio crews to pull expensive equipment away from the flames and even handle fire hoses.
Pop idol Bobby Sherman, co-star David Soul (later of Starsky & Hutch fame), and legendary actress Joan Blondell were among those who helped fight the encroaching blaze. Despite their efforts, the Here Come the Brides production took a massive hit, losing its entire wardrobe facility and countless custom props to the flames.
The Devastation
It required the entire Burbank Fire Department—deploying seven engines, two truck companies, and a rescue unit—bolstered by eight units from the Los Angeles City Fire Department to finally tame the beast.
Los Angeles Fire Department
While firefighters managed to contain the worst of the blaze in about 50 minutes, the damage was catastrophic. One-third of the Columbia Ranch was reduced to smoldering rubble.
Destroyed Sets & Assets
Historical Legacy Lost
Western Streets 'A' & 'B'
The dusty paths where Gene Autry, Gary Cooper, and Marlon Brando once rode.
Soundstage 32
A vital indoor filming hub positioned right behind the Western facades.
The European & Colonial Sets
Used extensively for period pieces and atmospheric street scenes.
The "Blondie" House
The iconic home from the Blondie films, which also served as the home for The Partridge Family in their pilot episode.
In total, 17 distinct sets were obliterated, causing an estimated $2 million in damages (roughly $15+ million today).
The Glitch in the Television Matrix
Because the entertainment industry stops for no one, TV shows in active production had to figure out how to keep filming while the ashes were still warm. This created some bizarre "continuity glitches" that sharp-eyed fans can still spot today:
The Missing Garage: In the first season of The Partridge Family (filmed shortly after the fire and subsequent smaller blazes that hit the rebuilt lot later that year), look closely at the episode "Old Scrapmouth". When the famous multicolored bus is parked in the driveway, there is no garage behind it.
The Staircase to Nowhere: In another scene featuring guest star Mark Hamill, characters stand near the bus by the steps of the Partridge house—steps that literally lead to a completely empty, flat, burned-out lot just out of frame.
The Bewitched Relocation:Bewitched had to frantically rewrite and shift production to its famous "Salem Saga" episodes while the damaged outdoor sets and standard indoor kitchen setups on the lot were being rapidly rebuilt.
A New, Fragmented Era
The Columbia Ranch was rebuilt, but it was never quite the same. The original Western and European streets had a textured, historic gravity to them. The post-1970 reconstructions, while functional, were criticized by industry veterans as looking a bit too clean, generic, and mid-century modern.
Worse still, the fire broke the spell of the backlot’s invincibility. Just months later, in August 1970, another fire swept through Blondie Street, burning down the freshly rebuilt Partridge Family house and the neighborhood church all over again.
Today, the Columbia Ranch (which later became the Warner Bros. Ranch) has officially succumbed to a different kind of element: real estate development. With the lot being demolished to make way for modern high-tech studio facilities, the era of walking through a physical, wood-and-plaster American backlot is officially gone. But for those who remember the smoke rising over Burbank in 1970, the history remains permanently seared into memory.
