Large fire breaks out at Germany’s biggest theme park, police says blaze is “under control”

BERLIN (AP) — A large fire at Germany’s biggest theme park sent a dense plume of black smoke billowing into the sky that was visible for miles Monday.

Police said firefighters were at the scene and that the blaze at the Europa-Park in the town of Rust, near the French border, was “under control.”

“All visitors are currently in the process of leaving the park in an orderly manner,” police in the southwestern town of Offenburg said. “There is currently no information about injured persons.”

Regional daily Badische Zeitung reported that the fire was centered around the Spanish-themed section of the park and an area known as the Magic World of Diamonds.

Europa-Park is a popular tourist destination, that drew more than 6 million visitors last year, mostly from Germany, France and Switzerland.

It has areas with themes based on different European countries, and three based on fantasy settings. The park also hosts conferences and is a popular venue for events and television productions.