When a fire-breathing dragon caught fire at Disneyland on Saturday night, some onlookers thought it was part of the show.
But the prop that went up in flames was an accident, and officials were investigating the cause, Sgt. Jon McClintock, a spokesman for the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire and Rescue, said Sunday.
At least six workers were treated for smoke inhalation but did not require further investigation, he said.
The fire was reported around 11 p.m. local time, 30 minutes after the start of a performance of “Fantasmic!”
The show, in which Mickey Mouse dreams he is a sorcerer’s apprentice, uses “stunning effects, exhilarating stunts, dazzling pyrotechnics and rousing music,” according to a description on Disneyland’s website.
A prop shows Maleficent, one of the villains in the story, as a 45-foot (14 m) tall dragon breathing fire during part of the performance.
As a crowd watched, fire started around the dragon’s head and then spread to its body and down its neck, according to a TikTok video.
“Your attention, please,” a voice said over a loudspeaker as the fire spread. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance by ‘Fantasmic!’ will not continue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
When the prop started to catch fire, Tim Turensek, an accountant visiting from Minneapolis, said he briefly thought the fire was an intentional part of the show.
“My sister and I talked about how impressive it was,” he said. “I was like, ‘Man, they can set that head on fire and it’ll just stay perfectly intact?’ So we were a little surprised at Disney at first and then realized it wasn’t part of the show.
From where he stood, about 50 yards away, Mr. Turensek could feel the heat of the fire.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the dragon gag was made of or what fueled the fire effects.
The area immediately around the fire was evacuated and closed off, the rest of the park remained open. Workers were safely evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island, where the performance is taking place, Disneyland said in a statement.
“We are temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used in ‘Fantasmic!’ from the Disneyland park. at select shows and entertainment experiences worldwide out of an abundance of caution following the ‘Fantasmic!’ gag fire,” Disneyland said.
