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Disney suspends fire effects worldwide after fire during Disneyland Fantasmic show

By Alexa Mae Asperin
Updated  April 23, 2023 2:11pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 11

Disney suspends fire effects worldwide after fire during Disneyland Fantasmic show

A fire that broke out during Disneyland's Fantasmic! show damaged the park's Maleficent dragon and sent other props bursting into flames Saturday night.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Disney is temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland's Fantasmic! at select shows worldwide following last night's prop fire at the Anaheim theme park, the company said Sunday.

The incident happened Saturday during the final showing of the park's nightly show on Tom Sawyer Island, according to Disneyland officials. 

Video from the scene shows the performance proceeding when spontaneous screams can be heard mingled with the pre-recorded music and sound effects.

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Park officials said all cast members and guests at nearby attractions were evacuated due to smoke and wind. No injuries were reported.

Most of the other Disneyland attractions remained open, according to parkgoers.

The extent of the damage remains unclear, and there was no word on how long the attraction would be closed.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Fantasmic! opened in Frontierland in 1992 and features fireworks, various Disney characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats, and mist screen projections.

The show goes inside Mickey Mouse's imagination as he battles various Disney villains, including Maleficent in her dragon form, which is said to be about 45 feet tall.

The popular attraction got a makeover in 2017.

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Mickey comes out on stage to begin the live Disneyland show Fantasmic. Photo by Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Ryan Laux, a 28-year-old video producer and an annual season passholder was watching the show when the fire erupted and told the Los Angeles Times "It was a big giant fireball. Then they began pushing people out."

He estimated there were about 1,000 people crowded around, watching the show.

"It was shocking," Laux continued. "The crowd was in a standstill. People are packed in like sardines."

Fantasmic! is part of Tom Sawyer Island, which has been at Disneyland since 1956 and features the main character from the book by Mark Twain.

City News Service contributed to this report.