A significant fire broke out at Epcot theme park, one of the four major attractions at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The fire started in a walk-in refrigerator located in the back of house area of Epcot’s France pavilion. Luckily, this section was marked employee only and was off-limits to park visitors. Despite its secluded location, the fire generated large black clouds of smoke that were visible from the nearby Boardwalk area, just outside Epcot's gates.
Witnesses recorded video of the explosion, showing thick black smoke rising into the air. That created a dramatic scene, which really underscored how tense the situation was as terrified residents looked on from across the fire line. This episode at Epcot is not a unique event either, as Disney parks have seen similar racist goings-on in the past year alone. Earlier this year, a fire erupted during a Fantasmic! performance at Disneyland park in California. A Maleficent dragon figure burst into flames when a pyrotechnic effect misfired. The impact soon got cut from the performance to avoid more accidents.
Epcot is historically important because it is one of four parks that makes up Walt Disney World today. It had opened as the second park after Magic Kingdom, which opened in 1971. Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened in 1989 under the then-current moniker of Disney-MGM Studios. In 1998, Animal Kingdom became a major success with its grand opening. Combined, these parks are the bedrock of entertainment and tourism in Florida.
