Huge Fire 1 mile from AK 6/27/2011

[WebmasterMike]

I hope the wind is blowing in the opposite direction!!

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/28365909/detail.html

...the Vacation Lodge Maingate on U.S. Highway 192, about a mile from Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

Black smoke billowed into the sky Monday morning, and U.S. Highway 192 is closed between Griffen and Old Lake Wilson roads. Osceola Parkway can be used as an alternate.

 

[warrenite]

Wow, hope the hotlel was empty.

 

[Oglet]

Nope, it wasn't. I believe the news here said about 150 people have been displaced.

 

[Cherinva]

Wow..I hope everyone was ok

 

[safetymom]

I can smell it outside. This hotel has had problems in the past with the owners not paying the water or electric bills.

 

[LMO429]

Wow, that fire looks so terrible. I hope everyone is ok.

 

[pigletto]

Oh my goodness
That picture just made my stomach drop. So many vacationers will have their trips ruined. And so close to AK??? I am hoping so much it can be contained for the sake of all the wildlife.

Isn't that area extremely dry lately as well? I hope I am wrong on that one.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Oh, wow. My brother and his family just arrived yesterday. It's a good thing they're at the Contemporary and not going to AK.

 

[pigletto]

Upon further internet search on this hotel it would seem it is less a vacation hotel as the name indicates, than a really nasty fleabag motel. That doesn't make me hope everyone is safe any less.. but it does indicate that there was likely safety issues.

Apparently it started last night and they are still fighting it this morning.

 

[Oglet]

I hope everyone is okay and no one lost anything that wasn't easily replaceable.

Now with that said, its one less slum hotel along 192, hopefully something good can come out of this, maybe now all the hotels along 192 that fall into this category will be forced to clean their acts up before something happens with a massive loss of life.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Oh, wow, what a raging fire! Holy moly. These poor people who now have, quite literally, nothing to their names.

Do you think Disney will pull the animals off the savannahs? I wonder if the wind is blowing ash into the park...

 

[mikelan6]

This just reminds me of that documentary about the "homeless" kids living in places like these in Orange County, California - some of them Disney cast members as well.

I am glad that everyone is safe.

 

[PeterPan09]

I left work at 10:30 and the fire had just gotten going. The wind then was pushing the smoke away from DAK, but I'm sure the folks in Epcot and DHS were seeing the effects.

Today I'm wondering how it's going to impact my commute to work.

And yes, this was not a nice hotel. However, there were still people there, luckily they all got out safely, but some of them have nowhere to go now.

 

[PeterPan09]

This just reminds me of that documentary about the "homeless" kids living in places like these in Orange County, California - some of them Disney cast members as well.

I am glad that everyone is safe.

A good number of WDW cast members live in these hotels on 192 also.

 

[disneysteve]

Isn't that the place that used to be the EconoLodge Maingate Hawaiian?

We actually stayed there 2 or 3 times back around 1999-2000. That was before it became the fleabag extended stay place. Used to be a great deal, like $23/night.

 

[Oglet]

Isn't that the place that used to be the EconoLodge Maingate Hawaiian?

We actually stayed there 2 or 3 times back around 1999-2000. That was before it became the fleabag extended stay place. Used to be a great deal, like $23/night.

That would be correct

 

[SamSam]

I feel so sorry for all that were staying in the hotel! When I saw 'fire 1 mile from AK, I just felt sick. Hopefully they get the fire contained and the smoke isn't a danger to either people or animals in the are.

 

[WebmasterMike]

Unconfirmed reports of a Meth Lab exploding in one of the rooms causing the fire.

 

[Oglet]

Unconfirmed reports of a Meth Lab exploding in one of the rooms causing the fire.

Wouldnt surprise me at all. Last year there was one that exploded and took out a huge chunk of a hotel on 192.

 

[ADP]

As fire fighters battle this blaze let's hope no one gets hurt and it doesn't turn into a wild/brush fire.