People's visits to Disney World were a bit more chaotic than usual on Saturday. A fire broke out at Disney's Epcot theme park on Saturday afternoon.
Several visitors fled from the black smoke billowing near the French section of the park. Visitors could see the fire blazing behind the park's Eiffel Tower recreation at the French Pavilion. Park staff began to evacuate the area including the popular Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride. According to authorities, the blaze started when a walk-in cool caught fire. From there, the fire spread at Disney World.
Fortunately, people began to evacuate the area at Disney World. According to authorities, there were no injuries related to the fire. Eye witnesses say the walk-in cooler at Epcot just busted into flames. They are unsure of what exactly caused the fire. But authorities are investigating the matter and will determine the source of the blaze.
Disney World Fire
The fire comes at a bad time for Disney World. Spring Break is one of the busiest times of the year at the park, so the Disney Park was at an increased capacity compared to other days. Fortunately, authorities stopped the fire from spreading to other areas. However, I'm sure the smoke was a source of panic for many hoping to escape the stresses of everyday life.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District fire department had extinguished the fire by 7:20 p.m. local time. The fire drew plenty of responses from people on social media. One park visitor wrote, "It's out now, but it was a scary moment for a minute!" Fortunately, things turned out as best as can be given the circumstances.
Park officials say that the fire wasn't as severe as it could have been. They also played damage control, assuring guests that everything was under control. Indeed by the evening, few probably would have even known a fire happened. The smoke was gone. So far, Disney hasn't announced any closures for the French Pavilion due to the fire.
Epcot is a popular park at Disney World, featuring a tour across the world. The French Pavilion offers a little slice of France with its own Eiffel Tower and food to match.
