Blaze may put 'Mole' in the hole
Jan. 8 debut in jeapardy due to water damage
Stone Stanley Entertainment execs said they should know today how much of the production can be saved. It debuts Jan. 8.
The production bay where "Celebrity Mole" was being edited got hit by severe water damage from firefighters battling the blaze, which affected the back half of a two-story building on the lot.
Stone Stanley's Scott Stone, who lives close to the studio, managed to arrive early Tuesday, soon after firefighters had put out the blaze. Stone and his staff rescued hard drives and 2,500 tapes that contained raw footage from the recent "Celebrity Mole" production in Hawaii.
Those tapes were drying on a soundstage Tuesday afternoon.
"A good third of the tapes were either underwater or severely damaged," Stone said. "The hard part now is the triage of getting tapes appraised and getting a new facility set up."
Still, Stone and partner David Stanley were hopeful that the footage could be salvaged.
"We have told ABC that our intention is to meet our Jan. 8 premiere," Stone said.
The cause of the blaze -- which began shortly after midnight Tuesday -- was under investigation.
