Fire sparks backstage at Walt Disney World's EPCOT, officials say
Fire breaks out at Disney's EPCOT
A fire sparked backstage at Walt Disney World's EPCOT theme park on Saturday evening, sending a dark plume of smoke above the World Showcase, near the France Pavilion. People at or near the park flooded social media with videos and photos of the fire and smoke.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A fire sparked backstage at Walt Disney World's EPCOT theme park on Saturday evening, sending a dark plume of smoke above the World Showcase, near the France Pavilion. 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 France Pavilion. FOX 35 confirmed that some people had to be evacuated off "Remy's Ratatouille Adventure" to backstage. No injuries were reported.
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 France Pavilion within EPCOT's World Showcase.
Photos and videos showing a potential fire began to appear on social media around 7 p.m. Officials confirmed the fire was out by 7:20 p.m.
EPCOT was scheduled to close Saturday night at 9 p.m.
Disney guests were evacuated from "Remy's Ratatouille Adventure," one of the newer attractions to open at EPCOT, and based off the hit animated movie.
Videos posted to social media showed crowds of people walking backstage behind the Remy ride and the Paris set.
EPCOT Fire: Smoke plume fills Disney World park
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 Disney said a walk-in cooler caught fire backstage near the French Pavilion.
What caught on fire?
Officials with Disney World told FOX 35 Orlando that a walk-in cooler caught fire backstage.
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
Photos and videos of the fire flooded social media. Several people shared those videos and photos with FOX 35.
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 France 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.
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The Source: This story was written based off photos and videos posted to social media at the time of the fire, as well as information from people connected to Walt Disney World.