UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (AP) — King Kong’s roar was silenced, and Marty McFly won’t be going back to the future anytime soon.

A huge fire raged through a lot at Universal Studios on Sunday and destroyed some of Hollywood’s most familiar backdrops, including the courthouse square from “Back to the Future” and a streetscape featured in “Bruce Almighty,” “Spiderman 2” and “Transformers.”

It was the second fire at the historic site in nearly two decades, leveling facades, hollowing out buildings and creating the kind of catastrophe filmmakers relish re-creating. This time around, thousands of videos chronicling Universal’s movie and TV shows were destroyed in the blaze.

But Universal officials said that they were thankful no vistors were seriously injured — though several firefighters suffered minor injuries — and that the damaged footage can be replaced.

“We have duplicates of everything,” said NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer. “Nothing is lost forever.”

Universal officials didn’t immediately say what their plans would be for the site.

The blaze broke out on a sound stage featuring New York brownstone facades around 4:30 a.m. at the 400-acre property, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said. The fire was contained to the lot but burned for more than 12 hours before the final flames were extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage was expected to be in the millions of dollars.

Along with the courthouse square, the famous clock tower used to help send Michael J. Fox’s character through time was damaged, fire officials said. Two mock New York and New England streets used for moviemaking and as tourist displays were a total loss, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Darryl Jacobs said.

An exhibit housing a mechanically animated King Kong that bellows at visitors on a tram also was destroyed.

All three sites were either damaged or destroyed during another fire at Universal Studios in November 1990. That fire caused $25 million in damage and was started by a security guard who was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to arson.

Concerns for air quality due to the acrid smoke prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to send a chemist to take air samples at the scene, said spokesman Sam Atwood. Results were expected Monday morning.

Hundreds of visitors who waited for hours outside the park gates were turned away after officials decided not to open the area Sunday afternoon. On a typical weekend day, about 25,000 people visit Universal Studios. NBC Universal said it would reopen the theme park Monday morning.

Universal CityWalk, a shopping promenade, was also closed. The MTV Movie Awards, broadcasting live Sunday night from the adjacent Gibson Amphitheater, went on as planned.

Mike Herrick of San Diego watched the fire on television from his hotel Sunday afternoon before deciding to return to Universal Studios for a second day with his wife.