U.S. midway provider closes Fire Ball rides in Canada

Fire Ball ride shut down at K-Days A tragedy at the Ohio State Fair is having a ripple effect impacting fairgoers in Edmonton.

A large U.S. midway provider is closing its popular Fire Ball ride at fairs in Canada after a man was killed on the same ride in Columbus, Ohio.

Edmonton’s annual K-Days fair closed the amusement ride on Wednesday evening and Toronto’s Canadian National Exhibition said the attraction would not be included at its upcoming fair in August.

North American Midway Entertainment, the company that provides midway attractions to fairs in 20 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, including K-Days and the CNE, made the announcement Wednesday night following the accident at the Ohio State Fair.

"While North American Midway Entertainment is not the Midway provider at the Ohio State Fair, due to the tragic incident there this evening we will keep all our Fire Ball rides closed until further notice from the manufacturer for precautionary safety measures," the company said in a statement posted on Facebook.

According to its website, the Indiana-based ride operator also has midways coming up in Regina, Sask. and Saskatoon, Sask. next month, but it’s unclear if the Fire Ball was to be included in those events.

In Ohio, part of the ride broke apart and several passengers were thrown to the ground, including an 18-year-old man who died. Seven other people were injured, including a 14-year-old boy.

The Dutch manufacturer of the Fire Ball ride, KMG, told The Associated Press on Thursday that there are 43 such rides around the world, including 11 in the U.S. The company was not involved in maintaining the ride at the Ohio State Fair.

According to the website for Amusements of America, which operated the Fire Ball ride in Ohio, the “aggressive thrill ride” swings riders 12 metres above the midway “while spinning them at 13 revolutions per minute.”

Officials are still investigating the cause of the ride’s malfunction. It had successfully passed inspection before the Ohio State Fair opened. The fair reopened on Thursday, but all of the rides remained closed for further inspection.

Canadian closures

The manager of communications for K-Days, Lori Cote, confirmed to CTV Edmonton on Wednesday that the summer festival was shutting the ride down in light of the tragedy at the Ohio State Fair.

“Our thoughts are with those affected by the tragic accident in Ohio this evening,” Cote said in an emailed statement. “As safety is our number one priority, we support our midway provider’s (North American Midway Entertainment) decision to close the fireball ride until further notice.”

Formerly known as Klondike Days, K-Days is an annual 10-day exhibition held in Edmonton at the end of July. This year’s fair runs from July 21 to July 30 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.

In a statement emailed to CTV News, the CNE confirmed the Fire Ball ride would not be included in this year’s event “until further notice.”

“Safety is a top priority at the CNE,” the statement said. “All amusement rides at the CNE are inspected and certified by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) prior to the opening of the fair; and inspected on a daily basis during all 18 days of the CNE by the midway company.”

The CNE said the rides are also inspected by third-party safety engineers.The 18-day event will run from Aug. 18 to Sept. 4.

In addition to the ride closures in Edmonton and Toronto, North American Midway Entertainment will also not provide the Fire Ball ride at next month’s Indiana State Fair.

In Vancouver, the Pacific National Exhibition announced the temporary closure of a permanent ride at its Playland Amusement Park called “The Beast” out of “an abundance of caution” after the incident in Ohio.

The ride is manufactured by the same company, KMG, that made the Fire Ball ride at the Ohio State Fair. The PNE said in a statement on Thursday that they would be conducting “supplemental inspections of all aspects of the ride.”

With files from CTV Edmonton and The Associated Press