Crowds at Disneyland that watched the Fantasmic live performance Saturday night were likely expecting Mickey Mouse to swoop in and save the day from the terrifying fire-breathing dragon.
Instead, the 13-metre-tall animatronic dragon made it easy for the mouse hero by bursting into flames all on its own.
Videos posted online show a prop of Maleficent the dragon quickly becoming engulfed in flames during Saturday’s live performance, as onlookers rushed to clear the area.
It appears the fire first started burning on the dragon’s head. As the blaze continued, burning debris then fell off the head onto its body, causing the whole dragon to burst into flames.
At one point, a large explosion originating from the dragon’s head shot out a large fireball as the crowd roared in shock.
Due to the smoke from the dragon and the wind conditions that night, all guests and crew members were evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island, where the performance took place, as well as all the surrounding attractions.
No one was injured in the fire, though several cast members in the performance were treated for smoke inhalation.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded to the scene of the inferno and extinguished the blaze.
Disney officials say the cause of the fire is still under investigation and that all similar pyrotechnic effects involved in shows and attractions across the company’s many international theme parks will be suspended “out of an abundance of caution.”
The Fantasmic show is a long-running performance at Disney’s theme parks in Florida and California.
The show features “beloved Disney characters, enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics,” as well as “Maleficent as a 45-foot, fire-breathing dragon,” according to the Disney website.
Apparently, Maleficent also caught fire in 2018 during a parade at Disney World in Florida.
Maleficent is an evil fairy and the main villain of Disney’s 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty. At the climax of the film, she turns into a fire-breathing dragon and battles Prince Phillip.
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