UPDATE: As of the next day, December 15th, Magic Kingdom is back to normal. The small fire was quickly and safely extinguished, and now the Cinderella Castle and surrounding area are open again for guests to visit. Cinderella’s Royal Table (which was evacuated during the emergency) is also open again now.
Disney World is known as the Most Magical Place on Earth, but sometimes emergency situations can arise or evacuations can take place in the parks and resorts.
Image from DFB reader @ptolley_ on Twitter
Earlier today we shared about our experience on the Disney Word monorail and how that took longer than expected due to some technical issues. We’ve also shared news about Skyliner crashes in the past and more. Most recently, we shared with you the news about a fire reported near Cinderella Castle tonight, and now we’ve got an update on that situation.
As we shared earlier, according to a DFB reader, Cinderella’s Royal Table was evacuated and emergency response vehicles were sent to the Castle after a Cast Member reported a fire.
Update: A DFB reader reached out and let us know that they were issued a full refund for their meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table last night and were told they could possibly get a new reservation, due to the situation that transpired with the fire.
Emergency vehicles in Magic Kingdom
The area surrounding the castle was also evacuated. One individual shared a video explaining that there was visible smoke coming from the bridge underneath Cinderella Castle and multiple emergency vehicles on-site.
Another look at the crowds
Later on, Cast Members moved guests away from the Castle and blocked off a portion of Main Street, U.S.A.
UPDATE: According to The Orlando Sentinel, the president of the Reedy Creek Firefighters Association (Jon Shirey) said that the call initially came in as an “electrical fire on a junction box outside the castle.” When they arrived, the firefighters “saw a tree on fire next to the structure.” Reportedly firefighters told Shirey that a “firework appeared to have caught the tree on fire.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Fire Marshal.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Shirey indicated that “fire personnel treated a security guard who inhaled dry chemicals from a fire extinguisher.” The Sentinel also shares that an unidentified Disney spokesperson said a Cast Member was “transported from the park for non-emergency treatment. No other injuries were reported.”
Click here to read more about the fire.
Now, we’ve gotten an update about Disney’s response to the fire. According to Scott Gustin on Twitter, Disney World issued the following statement about the fire, “There was a small fire in Magic Kingdom. The fire was quickly extinguished by fire extinguishers. No one was hurt.”
Scott Gustin thereafter posted another tweet noting that the fire was reportedly put out by a single fire extinguisher. In a follow-up tweet, he shared that “The small fire happened in a mulched area near the castle moat. A single fire extinguisher put out the fire.”
🚨Cinderella Castle EVAC video.
Credit to @ rosieredsara83 on IG pic.twitter.com/2X8iYXUsBr
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 15, 2021
This is a developing situation. We’ll continue to look for updates and bring you the latest news.
This is a good reminder that emergency situations and evacuations can happen in Disney World and it is important to be as prepared as possible. If an emergency or evacuation happens during your trip, be sure to listen to any and all instructions given by the Cast Members and be aware of your surroundings. Keep checking back with us for more updates.
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This was before the fireworks. With it being in a “mulched area” my guess is someone smoking in the park. We saw several cigarette butts between park close and the start of the Merriest After Hours party.