ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Fantasmic show at Disneyland was hot last night. Maybe too hot.
Guests watching the late Saturday evening Fantasmic show at Disneyland had to be evacuated after the 45-foot Maleficent robotic dragon caught fire toward the end of the nightly show.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue received a call about the fire at Disneyland at about 11 p.m., Anaheim spokesman Mike Lyster told Spectrum News.
Several units responded to the fire by about 11:20 p.m., Lyster said, adding that there were no injuries and Disneyland cast members and guests near the area were evacuated as a precaution.
“During the final showing of Fantasmic! at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire,” said a Disneyland spokesperson in an emailed statement to Spectrum News. “Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded, and the fire was extinguished.”
The Disneyland spokesperson added that the cast members were evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island, where the show occurs.
“Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely evacuated of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time,” the spokesperson said.
Fantasmic! is one of Disneyland’s most popular nighttime spectaculars. The 27-minute nightly show at Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Rivers of America centers around Mickey Mouse and the power of imagination.
Mickey transforms into Sorcerer Mickey, and viewers watch as he battles against animated Disney villains and characters from movies such as “The Jungle Book,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Fantasia.”
The show features special effects, three 60-by-30-foot mist screens, live performers and pyrotechnics.
The nighttime spectacular culminates with Sorcerer Mickey facing off against Maleficent, who turns into a 45-foot animatronic fire-breathing dragon. The dragon lights the surrounding Rivers of America on fire for nearly 30 seconds.
The nighttime spectacular debuted in 1992 and usually ran twice a night. Last year, the show celebrated its 30th anniversary.
