A fire at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel prompted a temporary evacuation of parts of the resort on Thursday after smoke became visible outside the building.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the fire started in the kitchen of Bourbon Steak, the signature restaurant by Chef Michael Mina located inside the Dolphin Hotel.
In a statement provided to the newspaper, a resort spokesperson said the hotel’s ventilation system functioned as designed, pushing smoke from the kitchen to the exterior of the building.
“A fire occurred in the kitchen of Bourbon Steak restaurant in the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel,” the spokesperson said. “As a result, the ventilation system moved the smoke out to the exterior of the Dolphin Hotel, as it is designed to do, which made the smoke visible from outside.”
Photos and videos shared on social media showed smoke billowing above the entrance to the resort, prompting concern from guests.
Disney's Dolphin hotel is on fire…#disney #dolphinhotel pic.twitter.com/eCUTLCNlrb
— devschik (@Devschik) June 25, 2026
As a precaution, the hotel evacuated the lobby and several guest room floors while crews responded to the incident.
According to the spokesperson, guests were allowed to return once officials confirmed there were no ongoing safety concerns.
“In the interest of guest and cast member safety, the hotel evacuated the lobby and many guest room floors. Once they were assured of no safety concerns, guests were allowed to return to their rooms.”
The fire has since been contained, and no injuries have been reported.
Bourbon Steak will remain closed until further notice. The upscale restaurant, which opened at the Dolphin Hotel in 2025, is currently not accepting new reservations through at least July 14, according to its OpenTable listing.
We’ll continue to update this story if additional information becomes available.
