Fire Breaks out at Disneyland Over the Holidays

A Disneyland attraction was left damaged after a fire broke out in one of the most historic sections of the Anaheim, California-based theme park over the holidays. During the overnight hours between Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, fire crews responded, and successfully put out, a small fire at the New Orleans Railroad Station in the old Frontierland, a portion of which is now blocked off to parkgoers.

Anaheim Police and Fire spokesperson Sgt. Jacob Gallacher confirmed to The Orange County Register that the Anaheim Fire Department received a call at 3:29 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29 of a structure fire in the radio house of the New Orleans Square train station. Together with the on-site Disneyland Fire Department, crews fought the fire, which was described as “small,” for 15 minutes before extinguishing it. Since the fire occurred during off-hours when the park was not open to parkgoers, there was minimal disruption and no injuries, Disneyland officials confirmed.

The fire did result in some damage to the train station radio house building, which is found between the depot in New Orleans Square and a water tower and utilized to refill steam engines and also acts as a break room for cast members, per Inside the Magic. The extent of the damage is unclear, but following the fire, park officials put up white construction walls and a 20-foot-tall beige scrim, blocking the damaged building from visitors’ view. A photo shared to Reddit shortly after the incident showed the current state of New Orleans Square with the building blocked. It is unclear how long the construction walls and scrim will be in place as the building is restored. The Disney Food Blog also reported that while visiting the area, “the area smelled a bit like fire.”

While the building is blocked from view, New Orleans Square otherwise seems unaffected. The Disneyland Railroad continued to take riders on a “Grand Circle Tour” around the park. The 18-minute scenic journey allows riders to “steam along the banks of the Rivers of America and behold rugged landscapes inspired by 4 of America’s majestic rivers: the Mississippi, the Columbia, the Missouri and the Rio Grande.” There are four train stations along the route – Main Street, U.S.A., New Orleans Square, Mickey’s Toontown, and Tomorrowland. The trains are led by one of five different engines, which, except for one, were named after American locomotive legends.