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"Buried By Bonfire"
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"Buried By Bonfire"


Jul 24, 2016, 12:33 AM

I watched a show on ABC tonight called "In An Instant". It was about the November 1999 tragedy that happened when they built their annual bonfire to precede their University of Texas football game. I remember it happening, but never realized what the process to build the structure entailed. They had done it 90 times before with no major injuries.

It took months to complete. Students took weeks to cut all the trees used in the build with axes!! Weeks more to separate the "poles" according to diameter and length and stack them. As the project got closer to completion, they would work 24 hours a day.

The 60 foot high project, built in a wedding cake style, collapsed killing 12 and injuring 27! Many of the logs had to be removed, one at a time, like Pik-Up Sticks. The last person removed alive had been in the pile for 7 hours! The weight of the pile of wood was estimated to be that of two 747's full of gas, luggage, and passengers.

Of course, this was the end of that tradition. If you get a chance, watch in on demand. It was very interesting.

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Re: "Buried By Bonfire"


Jul 24, 2016, 6:49 AM

I was thinking about that great tradition the other day. Have not seen the special. That week was very sad for the state of Texas and the college football world.

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Re: "Buried By Bonfire"


Jul 24, 2016, 11:50 AM

The problem is the thing kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger each year. It was bound to happen. Sad that several kids lost their lives over it.

The University should have set limits to the size of the thing.

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March 4th 2016- "Lee won't be here 4 years from today" - Viztiz


Re: "Buried By Bonfire"


Jul 24, 2016, 1:19 PM

There is a "Student Bonfire" group that still exists and held a bonfire last year off campus. I don't think it is tied to the university as the original tradition was.

My office manager is an Aggie who researched the tragedy along with the history of bonfire and gives a presentation on it from time to time. Definitely got out of hand and should have been controlled better. Still an amazing and very unique tradition.

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