Disneyland's 'Maleficent' Dragon Dramatically Bursts into Flames During Show
A 45-foot animatronic dragon based on the villain from Sleeping Beauty caught fire during a performance at Disneyland in California
A Disneyland performance took an unexpected turn on Saturday night after a 45-foot animatronic dragon called Maleficent caught fire in the middle of a show.
Videos shared online show the animatronic, fire-breathing villain from Sleeping Beauty abruptly going from breathing fire — a routine part of the show — to being engulfed in flames.
"During the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon prop caught fire," the resort said in a statement about the dramatic incident at the California theme park. "Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded, and the fire was extinguished."
No one was injured in the incident, the statement added, and all cast members and guests in the vicinity were "safely evacuated" shortly after the flames took hold.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, but an initial release from the resort said it was the result of a "leak of flammable fluid, seen dripping down from the mouth moments before the fireball effect went off."
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"We are temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland park's Fantasmic at select shows and entertainment experiences globally out of an abundance of caution following the Fantasmic prop fire at Disneyland park," the statement continued. "The continued safety of our cast and guests is of the utmost importance."
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Elaine Gilmer, who was in the audience at the time of the fire, told ABC News that she "saw some small explosions coming out of the head, and then, all of a sudden, the whole dragon was just engulfed."
She added that a "worker started coming around escorting everybody out for safety" shortly after the explosions began.
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In videos from the show, a loudspeaker announcement can be heard alerting guests to the incident as the fire spread down the figure's body. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance of Fantasmic! cannot continue," the announcement says.
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The Fantasmic performance typically sees Mickey Mouse fight to vanquish several of Disney's most-known villains, including Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent, according to Disneyland.
"The dragon is usually the highlight — that's what most people look forward to," Gilmer told ABC News. "We always love that part, so it's exciting to watch; it's kind of sad knowing that [the fire] happened."
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