Hollywood fire jeopardizes infamous Los Angeles landmark

These photos here look like a scene out of a movie as the infamous "Hollywood" sign that overlooks Los Angeles is in jeopardy as a wild fire rages towards it.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A brush fire in the foothills above Los Angeles sent dark plumes of smoke over the famed Hollywood sign on Friday and threatened an apartment building.

Television pictures showed thick black smoke billowing over the 50-foot (15-meter) sign, long a Hollywood landmark, even though the actual fire was about a quarter mile away and across a canyon, fire officials said.

About 200 firefighters battled the fire, assisted by water-dropping helicopters, said Ron Myers of the Los Angeles city fire department. Early reports said the fire had charred about five acres.

Smoke drifted into both Warner Bros and Universal studios but the flames were blown away from the affected areas.

City authorities have said that two teenagers admitted deliberately starting the fire.

The Hollywood sign, which was built of wood in 1923 and read Hollywoodland as an advertisement for a housing development, is now made of steel and painted white.