Fire damages structures at Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City closed temporarily on Thursday after a fire broke out at the Branson theme park.

The Southern Stone County Fire Protection District responded in the early afternoon yesterday after the fire that occurred prior to the park opening to customers, according to a Facebook post by Silver Dollar City. The fire, which was contained within an hour, damaged three structures from Heartland Home Furnishings to Flossie’s Fried Fancies in the lower western portion of the park, officials say.

"As tragic as it is, we're all so thankful that things turned out the way they did," said Jeff Ussery, vice president of operations for SDC parent company Herschend Family Entertainment, in a Facebook video post.

SDC spokesperson Lisa Rau said via email this morning that the three buildings "were lost or badly damaged" by the fire. The cause is still being determined, as is the financial toll of the damages.

Rau said fences have been installed around the impacted area and that crews already are in rebuilding mode. The fire did not cause any serious injuries, she said, though furniture-making equipment that's more than a century old and inventory of handcrafted heirloom furniture was lost in the blaze.

The theme park reopens today after the closure yesterday, officials say.