Fire outside MK on Thursday evening?

[HauntedPirate]

Anyone know what was on fire Thursday night at MK? When I got off of Space Mountain just after 11pm, it smelled like smoke and you could see a lot of smoke coming from (I think) NE of Tomorrowland. We think it was just a grass fire caused by fireworks, but we were wondering if anyone knew more.

 

[Tracks N Slabs]

You're right, it has been so dry recently that there is usually one (or more) small grass or brush fires following Wishes! Given the location of the launch site, the fire danger is the reason you won't see the Liberty Belle or the Steam Trains running during or right after the show.

 

[Mr Disney]

Also the same reason CMs have to take the long way home!

LOL... which SUCKS!

 

[boo52]

How is it that you HAVE to go the long way? Floridian way may be closed for Wishes but you could go by the Contemporary to turn right at Seven Seas past the Poly and that puts you back on track only 1/2 mile out of your way. The fire did not shut down the road at all.

 

[Pongo]

That was probably the fire in Rockledge that closed down I-95 and burned well into Friday (and possibly still today, I haven't checked the news.)

I woke up Friday morning thinking my house was on fire because my mom had the windows open and it reeked of smoke.

It sounds like Rockledge was what you saw. It's in the right vicinity, and if the smell carried to my house, It could have easily carried to WDW.

 

[205730]

While we were staying at Ft. Wilderness about 4 weeks we noticed some smoke coming from two campsites away from us. A small fire started in the brushes behind that empty campsite. We rushed to put the fire out with the hoses that they provide each site with. It was incredible how fast it started to catch. We notified front desk and within 3 to 4 minutes there were about 6 Disney officials there and then the fire dept showed up. They said they had 2 other similar incidents occur that same day. Turned out to be that the site had been occupied earlier that day and when the maintenance guy went to clean it up he apparently used the blower to clean up the bbq that still had hot coals on it and blew the hot coal onto the brushes and well you know the rest of the story.

 

[tirian]

I've seen treetops behind the MK on fire.

Stuff happens.

 

[Mr Disney]

Especially with the price of gas these days!

Uh yeah... my Vista! account is drained constantly into my car.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Dunno... the smoke we saw looked like it was close to Tomorrowland, and had been blown/drifted over Tomorrowland and then Main Street. Just strange to see it, especially an hour after Wishes! ended.

 

[jmvd20]

Do they typically cancel wishes or illuminations due to fire dangers from drought conditions?

 

[peter11435]

Do they typically cancel wishes or illuminations due to fire dangers from drought conditions?

No not often.

 

[marni1971]

IllumiNations 25 was cancelled for most of the summer during it`s run a while ago. It performed on July 4th but without perimeters.

Especially with the price of gas these days!

What is gas now over there?

 

[wdwmagic]

Do they typically cancel wishes or illuminations due to fire dangers from drought conditions?

They have done in the past, but not recently. The last time it happened was in summer 1998 when there were severe risks of fires. All the Orlando parks cancelled all firework shows for about a week. IllumiNations was the only show still to run, and it ran without the fireworks. They still did the July 4 show of Illum, with just lasers, lights and the fountains, no fireworks.

 

[bgraham34]

I remember going to the parks in the past and they have shutdown the water fountains because of droughts.

 

[marni1971]

I'm paying $2.97 a gallon

Your are so lucky. You don`t want to know what it`s heading towards in the UK - double your price, and add a bit more.

 

[jmvd20]

They have done in the past, but not recently. The last time it happened was in summer 1998 when there were severe risks of fires. All the Orlando parks cancelled all firework shows for about a week. IllumiNations was the only show still to run, and it ran without the fireworks. They still did the July 4 show of Illum, with just lasers, lights and the fountains, no fireworks.

Thanks for the reply. We'll be there in 2 weeks and it just wouldn't be the same without the fireworks. I know it is all done for safety though.

 

[wishiwere@wdw]

Well, I know on Sunday evening they were hosing down many areas in preperation for Wishes. We took the train around just before 9PM and they were spraying tons of water out in the woods.

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I just got back and we noticed on Friday there was a spot in the woods between Frontierland and Toontown that looked burned. (On the train ride) There was a big sprinkler going to work there.

This morning, on the way to the airport, it was smokey off to one side. (sorry, don't know which way!) Looked like mountains in Florida!