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
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Florida braces for Milton as FEMA tackles Helene, liesSpeed Read A flurry of misinformation has been spread about the federal response to Hurricane Helene
-
Alcohol-free drinks for Sober OctoberThe Week Recommends These are the best booze-free tipples from refreshing pale ales to bittersweet aperitifs
-
Israel's wars: is an end in sight – or is this just the beginning?Today's Big Question Lack of wider strategic vision points to 'sustained low-intensity war' on multiple fronts
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
