1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse

Fatal accident at Texas A&M University November 2019 November 2019 File:Bonfire-Daylight-Recovery.JPG 1 Recovery operation the morning after the incident 02:42 (CST) (UTC−6) 1999 11 18 College Station, Texas, US 12 27 Excessive internal stresses on logs and inadequate wiring strength on ties At approximately 2:42 a.m. on November 18, 1999, the annual Aggie Bonfire at Texas A&M University collapsed during its construction, killing 12 people and injuring 27.http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/18/students.crushed.03/ Unlit bonfire collapse at Texas A&M kills at least 4, injures 25 CNN 2007-12-20 November 18, 1999 https://web.archive.org/web/20070210031853/http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/18/students.crushed.03/ February 10, 2007 Collapse The 59 ft m mid -high stack, consisting of about 5,000 logs, collapsed during construction. Immediately after the collapse, emergency medical technicians and trained first responders of the Texas A&M Emergency Care Team (TAMECT), a student-run volunteer service, who staffed each stage of construction, administered first aid to the victims. TAMECT alerted the University Police and University EMS, who dispatched all remaining university medics, and requested mutual aid from surrounding agencies.http://www.thebatt.com/news/aggie-medics-recount-stories-of-sorrowful-day-1.1180232 https://web.archive.org/web/20120616165213/http://www.thebatt.com/news/aggie-medics-recount-stories-of-sorrowful-day-1.1180232 June 16, 2012 Aggie medics recount stories of sorrowful day The Battalion 2011-12-20 November 17, 2009 In addition to the mutual aid received from the College Station and Bryan, Texas EMS, Fire, and Police Departments, members of Texas Task Force 1, the state's elite emergency response team, arrived to assist the rescue efforts. Morton Anissa Aggie Community Bands Together The Bryan-College Station Eagle November 19, 1999 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/191199b.htm https://archive.today/20070930183610/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/191199b.htm September 30, 2007 2007-02-28 Within minutes of the collapse, word of the accident spread among students and the community. Before sunrise, the accident was the subject of news reports around the world. Within hours, 50 news satellite trucks were broadcasting from the Texas A&M campus. Rescue operations took over 24 hours; the pace was slowed by the decision to remove many of the logs by hand for fear that using heavy equipment to remove them would cause further collapses, resulting in further injuries to those still trapped. Students, including the entire Texas A&M football team and many members of the university's Corps of Cadets, rushed to the site to assist rescue workers with the manual removal of the logs. Bowen Larry Football Players Assist in Rescue The Bryan-College Station Eagle November 19, 1999 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/191199e.htm https://archive.today/20070930200950/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/191199e.htm September 30, 2007 2007-02-28 The Texas A&M civil engineering department was also called on to examine the site and help the workers determine the order in which the logs could be safely removed, and, at the request of the Texas Forest Service, Steely Lumber Company in Huntsville, Texas, sent log-moving equipment and operators. Victims Of the 58 students and former students working on the stack, 12 were killed and 27 were injured. Ten students and one former student were killed in the initial collapse, while another student died in the hospital the next day bringing the death toll to twelve. John Comstock was the last living person to be removed from the stack. He spent months in the hospital following amputation of his left leg and partial paralysis of his right side. He returned to A&M in 2001 to finish his degree. Aftermath The university gave the National Forestry Hero Award to an employee of Steely Lumber Co., James Gibson, for rescuing students.2000-10-30 Rescuer who helped bonfire victims honored http://www.dallasnews.com/bonfire/203122_BC-TX--BONFIRE.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20010304020206/http://www.dallasnews.com/bonfire/203122_BC-TX--BONFIRE.html 2001-03-04 2017-11-15 Associated Press at The Dallas Morning News By January 2000, Texas A&M spent over $80,000 so students and administrators could travel to the funerals of the deceased, including $40,000 so 125 students and staff could attend a funeral in Turlock, California by way of private aircraft; most of those on board were students. The total amount of funds spent by the university on all disaster-related expenses by that date was $292,000.Lee, Christopher Slover, Pete 2000-01-07 A&M spends $292,000 after bonfire collapse The Dallas Morning News http://dallasnews.com/specials/bonfire/0107bon1bonfire.htm dead 2017-11-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20000901041841/http://dallasnews.com/specials/bonfire/0107bon1bonfire.htm 2000-09-01 For two years, the university pondered options for reinstating the tradition. University president Ray Bowen formed a task force, which proposed a new design. The task force recommended that students be allowed to participate in building the bonfire as long as they were monitored by professional construction experts. Current and former students debated whether the proposed division of labor could be considered a student project. The debate was rendered moot when the university discovered liability insurance for the revamped project would cost more than $2 million per year. In 2002, Bowen announced that the bonfire was officially cancelled. Bowen's successor Robert Gates upheld this decision, stating that a "change in the status quo regarding the future of Bonfire would be inappropriate while litigation is still on-going". In 2002, students formed a non-profit to continue the tradition off-campus. Memorials and vigils At noon, students held an impromptu prayer service in the center of campus, at Rudder Fountain. Whitmarsch Geneva Thousands Mourn Fallen Aggies The Bryan-College Station Eagle November 26, 1999 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/261199a.htm https://archive.today/20041215131755/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/261199a.htm December 15, 2004 2007-02-28 An official memorial service was held less than seventeen hours after the collapse. Over 16,000 mourners, including then Texas Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry, packed Reed Arena to pay tribute to those who died and those who had spent all day working to rescue the injured. At the end of the service, as A&M University President Ray Bowen presented roses to the families of the dead and injured students, the crowd spontaneously stood in silence, linking arms with those standing next to them, before quietly singing "Amazing Grace". Only after all of the rescue workers and family members had left the facility did the audience depart.Opiela Eric Bonfire Memorial Service Texas A&M University November 19, 1999 http://www.msc.tamu.edu/traditions/bonfire/1999/programs/ 2007-02-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20070207065308/http://www.msc.tamu.edu/traditions/bonfire/1999/programs/ 7 February 2007 The Texas Exes student chapter canceled Texas' corresponding rivalry pregame tradition, the Hex Rally, in favor of a "Unity Gathering" on November 22 at the UT Tower and extended an invitation to all Aggies and their friends. The tower was darkened out of respect for those who had died in the collapse or been affected by it, and participants lit white candles instead of the usual red in memory of the fallen Aggies.http://www.tamu.edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/99/112299-10.html UT Cancels Hex Rally; Will Hold Unity Gathering November 22, 1999 2006-01-20 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20050316222339/http://www.tamu.edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/99/112299-10.html 16 March 2005 On November 25, the date that the bonfire would have burned, Aggies instead held a vigil and remembrance ceremony. Over 40,000 people lit candles and observed up to two hours of silence at the site of the collapse, before walking to Kyle Field for yell practice. At the stadium, fans relit their candles as the Parsons Mounted Cavalry fired the Aggie cannon twelve times, once for each victim. Former US President George H. W. Bush attended with his wife Barbara, as did his son George W. Bush, Texas Governor and future US President, with his wife Laura. The following day, the 24th-ranked Aggies upset the 7th-ranked Texas Longhorns, winning 20–16 in the annual rivalry game. The game began with a flyover of F-16 jets, all piloted by former A&M students, in the missing man formation. US Senator Phil Gramm, who taught economics at A&M from 1967 to 1978, donated the flyover that he was entitled to as an elected official upon his death, asking that the fly-over be given instead in the honor of the 12 Aggies who died. At half-time, the Texas Longhorn Band dedicated their performance to the students lost and injured in the collapse, and ended by playing "Amazing Grace" and "Taps", then removing their white hats in a show of respect as they walked off the field. The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band also played a tribute to the victims and, contrary to the usual tradition, marched off the field in a silent cadence. Aggie students, who normally sit only when the opposing band plays, stood throughout both performances and gave both standing ovations. Lebas John Aggies Conquer 'Horns and Heartache The Bryan-College Station Eagle November 27, 1999 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/271199a.htm https://archive.today/20070930200823/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/271199a.htm September 30, 2007 2007-02-28 The Bonfire Memorial Commission collected the hundreds of thousands of items that were left by grieving visitors at the site of the collapse. At the Systems Building, Texas A&M leaders erected pictures of the deceased students. There, over a dozen seniors left behind their Aggie rings, permanently donating them to the students who did not live long enough to earn their own. Baggett Donnis Spirit Obvious in Aggieland The Bryan-College Station Eagle November 28, 1999 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/281199.htm https://archive.today/20070930184351/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/november1999/281199.htm September 30, 2007 2007-02-28 Various organizations also established funds in memory of the victims and to help with expenses incurred because of the accident. In total, the funds received exceeded US$250,000. Kathryn Holmes Smith, of Texas A&M's class of 1973, wrote additional verses of "The Last Corps Trip" in memory of those who died. The poem, originally written by Philo H. "Buddy" Duval Jr. of A&M's class of 1951, imagines a Judgment Day where Aggies are welcomed into Heaven with open arms and is traditionally read at Aggie Muster.Duval Jr. Philo Holmes Smith Kathryn The Last Corps Trip https://www.aggienetwork.com/muster/song_tlct.aspx The Association of Former Students August 17, 2024 Investigations A commission created by Texas A&M University discovered that a number of factors led to the bonfire collapse, including "excessive internal stresses" on the logs and "inadequate containment strength" in the wiring used to tie the logs together. The wiring broke after logs from upper tiers were "wedged" into lower tiers. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers announced in 2000 that the Aggie Bonfire met the requirements to be considered a complex construction project subject to regulation under state engineering laws and would thus have had to be designed and overseen by a professional engineer. Legal Parents of students injured or killed in the collapse filed lawsuits against Texas A&M officials, including President Ray Bowen, Vice President of Student Affairs J. Malon Southerland, the 1999 redpots, and the university. In one of the six lawsuits, plaintiffs alleged that A&M officials violated the bonfire victims' right of due process by placing those victims in a "state-created danger" by not ensuring the bonfire's structural integrity and by allowing unqualified students to work on the stack. The plaintiffs pointed to a $2 million liability policy the university obtained in 1996 and accidental death and dismemberment insurance policies that the university obtained for student workers as early as 1987 as proof that the administrators knew of the dangers of the bonfire. Texas A&M maintains that the insurance policies were actually purchased by an advisory committee to the bonfire and not the university. On May 21, 2004, US Federal Judge Samuel B. Kent dismissed all claims against the Texas A&M officials. In 2005, 36 of the 64 original defendants, including all of the redpots, settled their portion of the case for an estimated $4.25 million, paid by their insurance companies. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the remaining lawsuits against Texas A&M and its officials in April 2007. In October 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the appeals court ruling.2007-10-09 Supreme Court won't hear Texas A&M bonfire appeal Dallas Morning News Associated Press http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101007dntexbonfiresuit.d0fe8a.html live 2007-10-09 https://web.archive.org/web/20071013103843/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101007dntexbonfiresuit.d0fe8a.html 13 October 2007 On October 28, 2008, Texas A&M settled the final lawsuit filed against them by the victims and their families. The university agreed to pay $2.1 million and promised that if the bonfire returned to campus that "engineering oversight" would be provided.October 28, 2008 Texas A&M settles lawsuit over bonfire deaths NBC News Associated Press https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27422100 live 2008-10-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20170703095126/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27422100/ July 3, 2017 The final lawsuit, filed against two companies that provided crane operators and cranes for the bonfire, was settled in April 2014.Baker, Sandra 2014-05-10 Last of lawsuits over A&M bonfire collapse is settled Fort Worth Star-Telegram http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/05/10/5809707/last-of-lawsuits-over-am-bonfire.html live 2014-05-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20140512220232/http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/05/10/5809707/last-of-lawsuits-over-am-bonfire.html May 12, 2014 Controversies On November 19, 1999, The Arizona Republic released a political cartoon by Steve Benson titled "Texas Bonfire Traditions" that compared the collapse to the Waco siege of 1993 and the 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr.Benson's View: Texas Bonfire Traditions https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-bensons-view-texa/183628756/ October 24, 2025 The Arizona Republic November 19, 1999 Phoenix, Arizona B11 Newspapers.com This prompted criticism and negative reactions from the Texas A&M community, and the Republic removed the cartoon. People sent thousands of e-mails about the cartoon to the newspaper offices.Benson, paper owe apology to Aggies https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-benson-paper-owe-a/183637150/ October 25, 2025 The Arizona Republic November 19, 1999 Phoenix, Arizona B7 Newspapers.com On December 1, the newspaper sent a total of $10,000 in two checks as a peace offering to the university, with $5,000 to the Bonfire Memorial Fund and $5,000 to the Bonfire Relief Fund. The TAMU administration declined to accept the money and returned the checks.Ingley Kathleen 'Republic' donation rejected https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-republic-donation/183637092/ October 25, 2025 The Arizona Republic December 8, 1999 Phoenix, Arizona A14 Newspapers.com TAMU president Ray Bowen stated "Texas A&M will not allow itself to become an agent for The Arizona Republic as it tries to manage the public criticism it is receiving."Kirsch, John http://dallasnews.com/specials/bonfire/1207bon1bonfire.htm A&M rejects money offered by newspaper Bryan-College Station Eagle at The Dallas Morning News 1999-12-07 2017-11-15 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000901041949/http://dallasnews.com/specials/bonfire/1207bon1bonfire.htm 2000-09-01 Detractors further blamed the school for the accident, saying that, in the name of tradition, administrators turned a blind eye to an unsafe structure being constructed with minimal engineering and safety protocols. Before the collapse, some people, such as Texas A&M engineering professor Theodore Hirsch, expressed concerns about the safety of the bonfire, citing the partial collapse that occurred in a previous bonfire, the progressively shorter bonfire burn times which had dropped from several hours to collapsing in less than 20 minutes, and numerous incidents involving alcohol or unsafe horseplay at the bonfire site.https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/the-aggie-bonfire-tragedy/ The Aggie Bonfire Tragedy – Texas Monthly January 20, 2013 August 30, 2019 August 30, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190830022324/https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/the-aggie-bonfire-tragedy/ live One of the students killed in the 1999 bonfire collapse was under the legal drinking age, yet a toxicology test showed high blood-alcohol levels; however, lower readings in a second test and inconsistencies in the initial sampling and annotation methods led to questions about the accuracy of the original tests. References 30em Avison April Judge dismisses a Bonfire lawsuit The Bryan-College Station Eagle July 27, 2006 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-148729693.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160209112757/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-148729693.html February 9, 2016 HighBeam Research subscription Bryan, TX usurped 2007-03-13 Brown Kelly Alcohol reports on victims released The Bryan-College Station Eagle May 3, 2000 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/may2000/050300alcholfindings.htm https://archive.today/20070930200903/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/may2000/050300alcholfindings.htm September 30, 2007 2007-06-18 Eden Scott The Burning Desire of Texas A&M ESPN November 26, 2014 https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/11937545/texas-bonfire-burns-fifteen-years-collapse-kills-12-students November 14, 2017 July 26, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160726061515/http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/11937545/texas-bonfire-burns-fifteen-years-collapse-kills-12-students live Cook John Lee Jr. Bonfire Collapse U.S. Department of Homeland Security http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-133.pdf 2009-09-29 September 17, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080917170255/http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-133.pdf dead Kapitan Craig Bonfire case under scrutiny by court The Bryan-College Station Eagle September 3, 2006 http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-150902363.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160209112757/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-150902363.html February 9, 2016 HighBeam Research subscription Bryan, TX usurped 2007-03-13 Brown Kelly More than memories remain for some survivors of collapse The Bryan-College Station Eagle http://209.189.226.235/aandmnews/111804survivor.php November 18, 2004 2007-12-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20071225193139/http://209.189.226.235/aandmnews/111804survivor.php 25 December 2007 LeBas John Suits claim A&M tried to skirt Bonfire liability The Bryan-College Station Eagle June 23, 2002 http://www.theeagle.com/aandmnews/062302bonfireclaims.htm https://archive.today/20070927234106/http://www.theeagle.com/aandmnews/062302bonfireclaims.htm September 27, 2007 2007-03-13 Lee Christopher Bonfire supervision mandated The Bryan-College Station Eagle June 15, 2000 http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/june2000/061500bonfiredecisionfolo.htm https://archive.today/20070930183549/http://www.theeagle.com/bonfire/storyarchive/june2000/061500bonfiredecisionfolo.htm September 30, 2007 2007-06-18 McLaren Janet Gates: Bonfire will not burn in Autumn 2003 The Battalion http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2003/02/27/FrontPage/Gates.Bonfire.Will.Not.Burn.In.Fall.2003-514883.shtml February 27, 2003 2009-10-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20071112003839/http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2003/02/27/FrontPage/Gates.Bonfire.Will.Not.Burn.In.Fall.2003-514883.shtml November 12, 2007 Pierce Carrie Court says A&M is not liable in Bonfire lawsuit The Battalion June 2, 2004 http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2004/06/02/News/Court.Says.Am.Is.Not.Liable.In.Bonfire.Lawsuit-683943.shtml 2007-03-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111255/http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2004/06/02/News/Court.Says.Am.Is.Not.Liable.In.Bonfire.Lawsuit-683943.shtml September 29, 2007 Van Der Werf Martin Appeals Court Upholds Dismissal of Lawsuits Over Texas A&M Bonfire Accident The Chronicle of Higher Education April 25, 2007 http://chronicle.com/news/article/2169/appeals-court-upholds-dismissal-of-lawsuits-over-texas-am-bonfire-accident 2007-05-24 September 30, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180559/http://chronicle.com/news/article/2169/appeals-court-upholds-dismissal-of-lawsuits-over-texas-am-bonfire-accident live Further reading The Texas Aggie Bonfire : tradition and tragedy at Texas A&M, (2000), 978-0-9679433-0-5 External links 1990s The official Aggie Bonfire site (now an official memorial site) The Special Commission on the 1999 Bonfire The Special Commission on the 1999 Bonfire Final Report (PDF) Bonfire Collapse https://web.archive.org/web/20170216013653/https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-133.pdf February 16, 2017 - U.S. Fire Administration "Bonfire Position." - Texas Board of Professional Engineers News coverage: "Bonfire Tragedy" - Bryan-College Station Eagle coverage of the 1999 bonfire collapse "Bonfire Tragedy" and "Bonfire Tragedy One Year Later" - The Dallas Morning News coverage of the 1999 bonfire collapse Coverage from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Coverage from WFAA Websites in favor of the bonfire continuing: https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.keepthefireburning.com:80/ Keep the Fire Burning https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.keepthetradition.com:80/ Keep the Tradition traditions 30.6227 -96.3352 region:US-TX_type:landmark title Bonfire Memorial  - Bonfire Memorial Aggie Bonfire collapse Aggie Bonfire collapse Aggie Bonfire collapse Aggie Bonfire collapse Category:November 1999 in the United States Category:Texas A&M University Category:Bonfires