The massive Wildfire wooden roller coaster at Kolmården Wildlife Park is slated to reopen this summer after having its permit revoked.
The coaster was shuttered in late October of 2016 after only four months of operation after the Swedish government revoked the coaster’s permit due to environmental concerns, including the noise associated with the ride and its effect on the park’s wildlife.
The coaster, a product of Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), has been “standing but not operating” (SBNO) ever since. But a translated page on the Kolmården website states that Wildfire is “opening soon.”
Rumors persisted that the roller coaster might meet the wrecking ball, but the ride was allowed to remain standing while discussions were had about the ride’s future. The coaster has remained at the middle of a zoning battle involving the park, government entities and local residents.
A new proposed zoning plan is expected to be approved within the next week, which will allow the roller coaster to reopen.
Wildfire opened on June 28, 2016. It stands 183 feet tall and features a 160-foot, 83-degree drop. It features three inversions: a zero-G stall and two heartline rolls.
Its 24-seat trains reach a top speed of 71.5 mph as they traverse the coaster’s 4,150 feet of track.
On-ride POV of Wildfire at Kolmården
Watch an on-ride POV of Wildfire at Kolmården below:
Stay tuned to Kolmården’s website for the latest on Wildfire’s operating status.
Wildfire was one of two Rocky Mountain Construction roller coasters built from the ground up in 2016. The other? The downtime-plagued Lightning Rod at Dollywood. Hopefully, Wildfire’s reopening marks the 180-degree turn for the issues and downtime these two coasters have faced.
Were you lucky enough to ride Wildfire before its closure? Share your thoughts about the coaster in the comments section below.
As much as I love roller coasters, I respect the government’s decision to want to protect the environment.
Yes I rode it and it is fabulous – the first half is amazing but it does slow down after the second inversion. The day I was there were never more than 10 people in the train so that may explain it. We could have as many repeat rides as we wanted.
I prefer it to Lightening Rod (although I only got one ride on one of the four train loads dispatched in 4 weeks!
And it looks as if Wild Fire is back as is back on the websites front page and in the attraction list again!
Yippee