Universal Orlando’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster catches fire as park phases out iconic ride

A Universal Orlando Resort roller coaster caught fire Friday morning.

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is in the process of being demolished to make room for a new attraction at the theme park. The small fire occurred on a portion of the ride’s lift hill, Orlando Fire Department told local FOX 35 Orlando. 

The ride closed on Aug. 18. Many of the iconic features, such as the loop, have already been removed and Universal has not yet publicly announced what is replacing the coaster.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and there were no injuries, local media outlets reported. The fire department did not immediately respond to a FOX Business inquiry. 

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Universal Orlando Resort now features four parks following the opening of Universal Epic Universe in May. 

Just last month, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died after riding Stardust Racers in the Celestial Park portion of the newest park. 

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The ride reopened last weekend. Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Zavala’s family, called the planned reopening “a grave risk to public safety.”

“Reopening the ride before our experts can examine every component is unadulterated spoliation of evidence, a grave risk to public safety, and puts profit over people’s lives. Universal reportedly told employees the ride functioned as intended. If that is accurate, then the design itself is deadly. We are demanding that Universal pause the reopening, preserve all evidence, and allow our experts to inspect it. If they refuse, we will address Universal’s callous actions in court,” Crump said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office incident report says that Zavala’s girlfriend, who was at the theme park with him, told law enforcement that Zavala, who used a wheelchair, had a spinal injury and was taking medication.

Universal Orlando President Karen Irwin said in a letter to Universal staff days before Stardust Racers reopened that, “our comprehensive technical and operational review confirmed the ride systems functioned properly throughout the boarding process, the duration of the ride, and upon the ride vehicle’s return to the station, and our Team Members followed procedures throughout.”

Universal Orlando Resort is a part of Universal Destinations & Experiences, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal.