Colossus Catches Fire At Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags’ Colossus, an old, wooden roller coaster, caught on fire Monday as construction workers worked on the historic ride.
Colossus Burns
The fire began around 1:30 p.m. at Six Flags’ Los Angeles location, also known as Magic Mountain. The fire department quickly responded, and the fire was extinguished by 2 p.m.
The Colossus, which first opened in 1978, was closed in August as the park began renovations to upgrade the ride with a new steel track, to be called the Twisted Colossus. A welder working on the project reportedly started the fire accidentally. “[The fire] was started while work was being done to disassemble the ride,” said Six Flags Magic Mountain spokeswoman, Sue Carpenter.
The fire managed to cause part of Colossus to collapse, burning through the original structure.
Luckily, the amusement park was closed and no one was injured in the fire. However, moving forward Six Flags is said to be working closely with the fire department to ensure the structural safety of Colossus, to ensure no future injuries. “The cause of the fire is undetermined. The structure is compromised and we are making sure no falling pieces put anyone in jeopardy,” said Fire Department spokesperson Stephanie English.
#LACoFD says they have pretty good control of #fire at #Colossus at #SixFlags #MagicMountain. https://t.co/8KBflIwHVd pic.twitter.com/3edgqE3qx6
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) September 8, 2014
The fire was clearly visible from the nearby highway, and photos of the famed roller coaster going up in flames quickly appeared on social media, causing Six Flags Magic Mountain to address the incident on Twitter. In a series of tweets, Six Flags Magic Mountain explained the nature of the fire and firmly stated that there were no injuries.
Top of lift hill at Colossus caught fire today. There are no injuries and the fire is contained. LA Co Fire is on scene. Park is closed.
— Six Flags MM (@SFMagicMountain) September 8, 2014
Contractors were working on disassembly of ride. Ride has been closed for renovation since August 17.
— Six Flags MM (@SFMagicMountain) September 8, 2014
The fire at the top of the lift hill at Colossus is now out. The park was closed today and there were no injuries.
— Six Flags MM (@SFMagicMountain) September 8, 2014
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