Trending Now - Lightning Ignites 100-foot Dinosaur Sculpture in Fiery Display

WHO:

Fox News - Guy Gazelle, executive producer at Field Station: Dinosaurs, reported on the incident.

Fox News - Derby Fire Department responded to the fire.

WHAT:

Fox News - A 100-foot-long animatronic dinosaur, a Sauroposeidon replica, caught fire after being struck by lightning.

Fox News - The dinosaur weighs nearly 60 tons and is one of the park’s largest attractions.

Fox News - The fire was extinguished without further damage to the park.

Fox News - The animatronic dinosaur was reduced to its steel frame after the fire burned away its outer layers and internal mechanisms.

Fox News - The park plans to turn the remains of the dinosaur into an educational display.

WHERE:

Fox News - The incident occurred at Field Station: Dinosaurs, a theme park located in Derby, Kansas.

Fox News - Black smoke was seen drifting across the Pixar Pals parking structure at the Anaheim, Calif., theme park.

WHEN:

Fox News - Fire crews responded around 8:30 p.m. on a Saturday to reports of the lightning strike and fire.

WHY:

Fox News - The fire was caused by a lightning strike that ignited the animatronic dinosaur.

HOW:

Fox News - Fire crews from nearby agencies assisted in putting out the fire.

Fox News - Gazelle mentioned that the structure had been damaged in a recent windstorm and had just been repaired before the lightning strike occurred.

(UPDATED April 29, 2026 07:44 UTC)

A 100-foot-long animatronic dinosaur replica of a Sauroposeidon caught fire after being struck by lightning at Field Station: Dinosaurs in Derby, Kansas, reducing it to its steel frame. Fire crews responded promptly and extinguished the blaze without further damage to the park, despite the dinosaur being one of its largest attractions weighing nearly 60 tons. The park plans to turn the remains of the dinosaur into an educational display, as the structure had recently been repaired following damage from a windstorm.