ORLANDO, Fla. – A fire sparked backstage at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT theme park on Saturday evening, sending a dark plume of smoke into the area. People at or near the park flooded social media with videos and photos of the fire and smoke.
Officials with Walt Disney World told FOX 35 News that the fire sparked backstage, behind the French Pavilion, part of EPCOT’s World Showcase. Some people had to be evacuated from the area.
Where did the fire happen?
What we know:
Officials with Walt Disney World confirmed that the fire started Saturday afternoon backstage — behind the scenes — of the French Pavilion within EPCOT’s World Showcase.
What caught on fire?
Officials with Disney World told FOX 35 News that a walk-in cooler caught fire.
No one was hurt in the fire, though it sent a dark plume of smoke high into the air, visible by people within the theme park and nearby. Disney leaders said the fire sparked evacuations beforehand.
Not only did the fire take place during Spring Break, but it also occurred during EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival. The festival runs through June 2.
Pictures, videos flood social media
FOX 35 News has learned that due to the fire, Disney guests were evacuated from “Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure,” one of the newer attractions to open at EPCOT, based off the animated movie.
Videos posted to social media showed more than a dozen people backstage at the theme park.
The fire was quickly extinguished by the fire department around 7:20 p.m., FOX 35 News has learned.
What we don’t know:
Officials connected to Disney World told FOX 35 News that a walk-in cooler caught fire behind stage. Exactly what caused the piece of equipment to catch fire was not immediately known. It’s also not clear if the fire damaged any other equipment or areas behind the scenes.
Where is Walt Disney World?
Walt Disney World Resort is an American entertainment resort complex located about 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Florida.
The resort encompasses parts of Orange and Osceola counties, and includes the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake.
The resort is accessible from Central Florida’s Interstate 4 via various exits.
The resort features four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Where is the French Pavilion within Disney’s World Showcase?
The France Pavilion is a French-themed pavilion that is part of the World Showcase within Epcot at Walt Disney World.
It is location is between the Morocco and United Kingdom pavilions.
This is a developing story. Check back soon for more updates.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Walt Disney World officials.
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