‘We don’t want to take any chances’: O.C. Fair’s G Force ride remains closed

G Force — a thrill ride that spins and swings riders high above the midway at the Orange County Fair — will remain closed indefinitely, fair officials said Friday.

The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa closed G Force on Wednesday evening after receiving word that a similar ride called Fire Ball had broken apart at the Ohio State Fair, killing one person and injuring seven.

The same company, KMG, manufactures both Fire Ball and G Force. The ride at the Orange County Fair is owned and operated by Ray Cammack Shows.

OC Fair & Event Center spokeswoman Terry Moore said G Force was inspected Thursday morning and appeared to be in working order.

However, the fair has chosen to keep the ride closed until the manufacturer confirms it is safe. It isn’t clear when the attraction will reopen.

“We don’t want to take any chances,” Moore said. “There’s no rush to get this ride online.”

Moore said operators inspect all rides at the Orange County Fair at least once daily and that the fairgrounds also has an independent inspector check them.

In the Ohio accident, it appears the “passenger-carrying gondola detached from the supporting sweep arm,” KMG told the Los Angeles Times.

After the accident, the Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health asked owners of Fire Ball-style attractions in the state to close the rides, pending clearance from manufacturers or state inspectors.

All six have been voluntarily shut down. The rides, which operate under different names, are at the California State Fair in Sacramento, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, California’s Great America in Santa Clara, Belmont Park in San Diego and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park.

Staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.

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