The producers of M*A*S*H turned a real forest fire that destroyed the show's Malibu set into a key element of the series finale. The 1983 episode became the most-watched non-Super Bowl program in television history.
A forest fire swept through the Fox Ranch in Malibu while cast and crew filmed multiple episodes. They had only minutes to evacuate before the blaze destroyed the 4077th camp.
Kellye Nakahara, who played Nurse Kellye, recalled racing to vehicles as the fire advanced. "The fire came down and wiped out the entire set within 10 minutes," she said.
Alan Alda described returning to find only melted aluminum where buildings once stood. Writers then rebuilt the set and added scenes of the smoldering camp to the finale, extending its runtime to two and a half hours at CBS's approval.
The episode drew an estimated 106 million viewers despite the series nearly being canceled after its first season.