Fire in the Hole!
Blazing Fury is one of the oldest rides at Dollywood. Built in 1978, this ride has been in operation since Silver Dollar City took over the park but before it even became Dollywood. This steel enclosed roller coaster tells the story of a small mining town that is on fire and the people of the town are, comically in some cases, trying to put it out. This enclosed ride is one of the few rides in the park that can be ridden in almost any weather. It can be pouring buckets of rain outside, and you can still ride the Blazing Fury without fear of getting wet… almost.
The premise behind the Blazing Fury is that you are on a ride, in a mine car, through a little mining town in the mountains. The mine and the town have caught faire and you are watching the people of the town try and put out the flames. The ride was built in the 1970s and some of that nostalgia and style are still evident today. Dollywood, due to the popularity of the ride, has done little to attempt to change it over the years. At times, the crepe paper flames, the mannequin like denizens of the town and voice acting still speak to the time when the ride was opened, but that is part of the fun. Also, if you have been to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO then you might have ridden its sister ride: Fire in the Hole.
The ride itself is very simple. The cars that you ride in are powered. They pull themselves up the winding track with the help of tires on the track to move them along on the steeper sections. The cars take the drops with the assistance of gravity. At the end of the ride, the culmination of the ride, is an 18 foot drop into pitch blackness. The suddenness of the drop and the fact that the ride gets darker as it progress leaves you wanting another go on the Blazing Fury as soon as you get off. You will see people all day rushing to get back in line for another trip.
The Blazing Fury is located in the Craftsmens Valley section of the park. If you are headed up the valley toward the Tennessee Tornado, you will pass the Blazing Fury on the way. If you have gotten to the Tornado by way of Adventure Pass, continue down the valley and you will pass the Blazing Fury on the right as you head down away from the Tornado and the games area at the top of the valley.
So, when you are at Dollywood, the next time you are vacationing in Pigeon Forge, take a ride on the only completely enclosed steel roller coaster at Dollywood, the Blazing Fury. Watch for the nostalgic props that were used to create this ride in the 1970s. Listen for the throw back to Silver Dollar City at the end of the ride when you here the lineman shout: Fire in the Hole. Take a ride back to a simpler time in the parks history.