TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It has been 30 years since the Old Tucson fire, a fire that still evokes strong memories for many Tucsonans.
April 24, 1995 started out just like any other Monday at the Wild West theme park.
"It wasn't a crazy busy day," remembered Merissa Fazio. "It was pretty typical."
Fazio had just started her late afternoon shift at Old Tucson, operating the antique car ride.
"I saw some smoke coming up over here," said Fazio as she pointed to the back of the park. "I was thinking to myself that's not where the smoke should be. It started getting bigger and darker."
"We were actually doing a show over at the mission," James Mead recalled.
Mead was a stunt show performer at Old Tucson, doing a show when the fire broke out.
"I rushed up to the top of the mission and I looked out," said Mead. "You could just see the smoke, I mean it was just a huge column of smoke."
The wind-driven fire spread rapidly.
"Then it was blowing and it was catching, then Kansas Street went up," Mead said. "Once that happened, the wind kept going, it hit the soundstage."
"There were a lot of people who just thought this was just part of the show," said Fazio.
She had to convince guests to evacuate the park, while also trying to save what she could.
"The worst part for me was cutting, cutting our Belgians loose, was just starting to have to cut our livestock loose into the desert," said an emotional Fazio. "We can't let them stay there because they're in danger."
The horses and livestock were saved. The soundstage and a brand new wardrobe building were not.
"When I ascended the road to Gates Pass at the top, it was night and dark at that point, I could see the flames and my heart just dropped," Helaine Levy remembered.
Levy was the president of Diamond Entertainment, which operated Old Tucson at the time of the fire. She raced to the theme park from her son's tee ball game.
More than 200 firefighters from multiple departments responded.
One of the lasting images of the fire: The historic Reno locomotive with embers glowing around it.
It was all a sobering experience for Levy.
"Actually being there that night, and seeing it and not having the full comprehension of what it meant for Old Tucson, for our community, our employees and their livelihood, and so many things going through my head. It continued for a very long time after that."
It took about four hours to put out the fire. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
The fire did an estimated $10 million in damage, destroying more than 25 buildings.
A six-month ATF investigation into the cause of the fire was "inconclusive."
It took nearly two years to reopen Old Tucson Studios.
At about half the size, and with so much of the history destroyed, it has never quite been the same.
"Everybody had a memory of visiting Old Tucson when they were a kid with their family or when someone came from out of town," said Levy. "Boy did I hear a lot of that after the fire because people took it personally."
"I was devastated," recalled Mead. "I had loved working here."
"It was so iconic," said Fazio. "When you're here you don't forget the movie memories of it. You don't forget that. Now it's, it's all different. You try to rebuild, it's just not the same. But I love what they're doing with it. I love that they're trying to bring life and breath life back into it again."
The week of the fire, Fazio was rehearsing to become a performer in the stage shows and gunfights. But that dream ended with the fire.
Mead did return as a stunt performer when Old Tucson reopened in January of 1997.
This story is part of a KGUN 9 Original Presentation. Watch our entire in-depth special report, Old Tucson Fire: 30 Years Later, only on KGUN 9 online:
In the fall of 2020, Levy and Diamond Entertainment got out of its lease to operate Old Tucson Studios for Pima County.
American Heritage Railways now operates Old Tucson.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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