Walt Disney World EPCOT park. Photo:
Disney;Ryan/x
Guests were forced to evacuate a ride at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park after a fire broke out amid the busy spring break season.
The blaze started when a walk-in cooler “caught fire” backstage at the theme park’s France Pavilion in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, March 22, according to Fox 35 Orlando, CBS News and Fox Business, which cited Walt Disney World officials.
Riders on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which is located near the area of the fire, were evacuated. The blaze was extinguished by 7:20 p.m. local time and no injuries were reported, officials confirmed to the outlets.
The fire started amid a busy time at the theme park — during Spring Break and Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival, which runs until June 2. The specific cause of the fire from the walk-in cooler is not currently known.
Walt Disney World, as well as Reedy Creek Fire Services — a department that assists the resort specifically — did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment or more information.
Fire at Disney World’s Epcot. ryanwmsn/X
Footage posted on Facebook from the scene showed fire and tall plumes of black smoke rising high above the France Pavilion, as people walked backstage in the area.
Disney officials said theme park guests were evacuated before the large extent of the blaze that was seen in the videos shared, Fox 35 Orlando reported.
Walt Disney World employees helped with evacuating all attractions, shops and restaurants in the affected area, per Walt Disney World Magic.
The French Pavilion was closed amid the incident and later reopened for guests at 8:20 p.m., Fox Business and WDWM reported. The park later closed at its normal time of 9:00 p.m., according to the outlets.
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One witness wrote on the Walt Disney World’s Tips and Tricks Facebook group page of the incident, “Everyone is physically ok, I believe. We had just gotten on the skyliner at Pop Century to Epcot … and watched it unfold.”
They added, “At one point the smoke was drifting into the path of the skyliner, and I was worried our cabin was going to fill with smoke.”
