The Apacheland Movie Studio, east of Apache Junction, AZ, was destroyed in a Valentine's Night blaze. At least 10 buildings were lost.

Originally built in 1960, it had already burned up once, back in 1969, when an actor's cigarette started the inferno. The cause of the latest fire is unknown, but appears to have started in the restaurant. Some sixty diners were safely evacuated.

The 85-acre attraction has been used as a movie set for decades, but its heyday was back when Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were portraying cowboys.

Wild West towns and Indian villages are particularly susceptible to fire. Over the past several years, Picacho Peak Trading Post in Arizona and Teepee Village in Cherokee, North Carolina burned down, while classic stops like Old Abilene and Old Vegas were lost long ago.

[02/22/2004]