A fire broke out behind the scenes at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT on Saturday evening, briefly sending plumes of dark smoke into the sky above the theme park. The incident, which occurred near the France Pavilion in the park’s World Showcase area, prompted an evacuation of the popular Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction.
Park officials told local news outlet Fox 35 that the fire started in a walk-in cooler backstage, an area that’s restricted to employees only. Reports indicate that the blaze began around 7:00 p.m., with thick smoke quickly becoming visible from various parts of the park. Videos and images capturing the scene quickly surfaced on social media.
Disney officials confirmed that no injuries were reported, and firefighters were able to extinguish the flames within approximately 20 minutes. Exactly what caused the cooler to catch fire was not disclosed, and it remains unclear whether any additional equipment or backstage areas sustained damage.
Guests aboard Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, a trackless dark ride inspired by the 2007 Pixar film, were evacuated as a precaution. Footage posted online showed parkgoers being escorted from the attraction backstage behind the Paris-themed section of the park.
Despite the disruption, EPCOT remained open until its scheduled closing time of 9:00 p.m., and the ride itself resumed normal operations by Sunday morning, USA Today reported.
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