The House of Mouse is reportedly putting a global pause on fire effects after an animatronic dragon caught on fire Saturday evening, on April 22, during a showing of Fantasmic at its California park. There were no injuries reported on-site, though some did receive treatment.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, who spoke to officials from Disneyland, the incident took place during the show’s last presentation of the day. Emergency personnel responded to a call around 11 p.m. stating that a dragon prop had caught ablaze. A crew, including several Anaheim Fire and Rescue engines, trucks, and ambulances assembled to combat the flames alongside Disneyland’s own fire team.
Elaine Gilmer, a park visitor who spoke to ABC 7 News, described the spectacle, noting that the dragon’s head “started to glow.” Gilmer, who saw the performance countless times, told the news station that she saw “fire and kind of smoke coming out.” She added, “I was like, ‘Oh … they added some new stuff because that didn’t didn’t happen like that before.'”
It wasn’t long before Gilmer’s daughter Elyssa pointed out the fire that had begun in the mouth of the 45-foot glaring basilisk had now started to spread to its entire body. In a statement to the outlet, representatives shared that “all cast members were safely evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. Guests on nearby attractions were also escorted to a safer location due to smoke and wind that had covered the area, although the remainder of the park stayed open.
It was reported that a few staff members were treated for possible smoke inhalation, however, they were later released. All of the guest and service workers were not injured at the time of the evacuation.
Disney said it would be evaluating the incident and “temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those” at other shows across its parks and “entertainment experiences globally out of an abundance of caution following the Fantasmic prop fire at Disneyland park.” Video clips of the Maleficent dragon prop in flames surfaced online shortly after. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.