A 45ft Disneyland dragon caught fire during a life performance - with families forced to flee the park.
The Tom Sawyer Island attraction went up into a huge blaze on Saturday evening during the theme park’s “Fantasmic!” show at Walt Disney World Resort in California, US.
Disneyland cast members quickly fled the scene after Maleficent Dragon’s head engulfed in flames mid-performance.
Videos uploaded to social media show parkgoers running away from the fire as staff attempted to cordon off the attraction.
The fire was seen spreading down the huge dragon as one visitor, who captured the fire, wrote on Twitter: "Just watched Fantasmic Dragon catches on fire at Disneyland."
A public announcement from the park declared the show could no longer continue after the blaze.
It said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, this performance of “Fantasmic!” cannot continue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The Anaheim Fire Department were called to put the blaze out after a huge thick black smoke plume was seen rising from the 100-acre theme park.
There were no injuries reported, according to authorities.
The area around Frontierland was cordoned off but the rest of the park remained opened for visitors, according to one eyewitness.
However, the extent of the damage and cause of the fire was not immediately known as officials continue to investigate the damage.
The “Fantasmic!” performance is a live 27-minute show which promises "enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics".
During the show Mickey Mouse conducts scenes from Disney classics, including The Lion King and Aladdin.
The popular attraction opened in 1992 and is based on Mark Twain’s book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”
Disneyland has been contacted for comment.
The fire comes after Disneyland in California is set to close Splash Mountain after being branded racist.
The iconic ride is set for one last outing at the end of May, before being redeveloped to feature a storyline with Disney's first African American princess - Princess Tiana.
The film is set on a plantation, and features an elderly Black man, known as Uncle Remus, who tells traditional African American folk tales to white children being cared for by Black servants.
There were concerns over the ride's links to a film which showed racist stereotypes and portrayals of African Americans in the post-Civil War south.
The Orlando Magic Kingdom version of the ride closed on January 23, 2023 with the Disneyland California version set to close its doors on May 31.
