Fire sweeps through James Bond studios

A large fire broke out at the James Bond film set at Britain's Pinewood studios today but no one was believed to be hurt, the…

A large fire broke out at the James Bond film set at Britain's Pinewood studios today but no one was believed to be hurt, the fire brigade said.

"We've got about 40 to 50 firefighters on the scene," a brigade spokesman said of the blaze at the studios in Buckinghamshire, 20 miles outside of London.

He said flames had been seen from many miles away.

Television pictures showed smoke rising from a warehouse with "007" written on the side. Part of the roof had collapsed and the walls were blackened.

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Firefighters were pictured spraying the building with foam and water from the ground and from cranes.

The spokesman said the fire brigade had needed to ask the police for help because so many people had gathered to watch the fire and they could not reach the building.

Scenes from the latest Bond film Casino Royale, which is still in production, have been shot at Pinewood. The film is partly based in Venice. The vast 007 stage had been transformed into a replica of the Italian city.

Pinewood studios, set within a former country estate, have been home to many James Bond films, although in recent years more filming has been done on location to reduce costs.

A separate James Bond stage within the studios burnt to the ground in an accident in 1984 but it was quickly rebuilt for future films.