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Credit: Inside the MagicEvery day, thousands of people make their way to Anaheim, California, to visit Disneyland Resort, also known as The Happiest Place on Earth. Disneyland is Walt Disney’s dream brought to life, and it has a special magic that you just can’t get at any other Disney theme park. Watching Fantasmic! along Rivers of America, seeing the Matterhorn loom over Fantasyland, eating a hand-dipped corn dog, or meeting Mickey Mouse on Main Street, U.S.A. are memories that will last a lifetime.
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While there are a lot of things people can expect from their Disneyland vacation, seeing a car fully engulfed in flames is probably not one of them. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened on the morning of April 4.
According to multiple reports and eyewitnesses, around 10 a.m. — just a few hours after the Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals parking structure opened, a car caught fire and quickly became engulfed. Shocked guests were quickly escorted out of the area and the Anaheim Fire Department was called in to extinguish the blaze.
Thankfully, no guests were injured in the fire.
🇺🇸 BREAKING: Car catches fire inside the Disneyland parking structure in Anaheim, California. Large fumes of smoke can be seen coming out of the structure. pic.twitter.com/EeQEJFooIm
— SVS NEWS AGENCY (@svsnewsagency) April 4, 2025
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At first, there were conflicting reports about what really happened, what kind of car caught on fire, and the damage inflicted on the surrounding cars in the lot.
And now, we have official information released by the Anaheim Police Department.
Initially, police believed the fire originated from a Toyota RAV4, but [Anaheim Police and Fire Public Information Officer Sgt. Jacob] Gallacher told USA TODAY on Friday afternoon that the fire is actually believed to have started inside the engine of a Kia Sportage SUV. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
Between six to 12 neighboring cars sustained damage from the fire, ranging from smoke damage to undrivable, Gallacher added.
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For a few hours after the fire initially broke out, the Pixar Pals parking structure was blocked off to guests. Approximately 3 hours after the fire, levels one through three of the lot were reopened to guests.
Thankfully, due to the quick action of Disneyland cast members and security, the fire was contained, and the parking lot was able to resume normal operations by Saturday, April 5.
Have you ever witnessed something shocking and unexpected while visiting Disney? What happened? Share your story with us in the comments!