On Monday, a segment of the Colossus roller coaster — which has loomed over California's Six Flags Magic Mountain for the past 36 years — collapsed under flames and a volley of firehoses.
Fortunately, the Colossus has been out of commission since August 17, so no riders were at risk. The fire was started by welders in the process of reconstructing the wooden Colossus coaster into the "Twisted Colossus," a hybrid coaster made of both wood and steel. The renovation is an attempt to turn the aging coaster into a more modern, thrilling ride (but not quite as thrilling as a coaster with a flaming chunk of track missing). --Scott Meslow
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