One thing that is for sure about Florida weather in the summer, always expect the unexpected!
The summertime in Orlando can bring a lot of different phases of weather, like heavy rain, light rain, sunshine, winds — but no one could’ve predicted what happened at Universal Orlando on July 29th, 2025.
A fire started at Universal’s Islands of Adventure on Tuesday, July 29th. A tree was struck by lightning near the queue for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, according to News 6.
After the strike, the fire alarms activated, and guests were evacuated from the area. The Orlando Fire Department arrived at the scene around 7:30 PM and cleared the area about 30 minutes later. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries.
Guests in the area managed to capture footage of the fire when it occurred and posted it online. On some TikToks, you can see the fire and how close it was to the queue. It was near the herbology classroom in the outdoor garden.
@d0mesticdoobie I just got in line when I saw the lightning hit and the loudest boom, about 60 seconds later the fire alarm comes on and we all have to evacuate!!#universalstudios #universalorlando #islandsofadventure #harrypotter #fire #lightning
The poster above described the situation as hearing the loudest boom, followed by a fire alarm about 60 seconds later. It’s wild to see how close the tree is to the queue line.
@ccdacoolnessqueenmom #harrypotter #hogwarts #universalstudios #lightningstrike #orlandoflorida
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is one of the more popular rides at Universal. For guests wanting to experience the thrilling immersive attraction, it is up and operating today.
Whenever there’s a storm happening, remember to stay safe and alert. You never know when something like this could happen. Thankfully, it didn’t cause any injury or further damage to the area. For more news, make sure to stay tuned to AllEars.
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Have you ever seen something like this before? Let us know in the comments!
Some wizard just used cast lightning.