In memory of the tragic collapse of the wooden structure built for the annual Aggie bonfire

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – 23 years ago this month, the unimaginable happened. As current and former Texas A&M University Students worked into the wee hours on the wooden frame for the annual Aggie bonfire, and the building collapsed. Twelve people died and 27 were injured.

The structure was a 59 foot tall stack of 5,000 logs that gave way in the early hours of November 18, 1999. The bonfire was an annual tradition held before the annual UT-Texas A&M football games.

The rescue operations lasted more than 24 hours. The pace of restoration was slowed by the decision to remove many of the tree trunks by hand. There were concerns that using heavy equipment to remove the logs would cause further collapses, further injuring anyone still trapped.

Before sunrise on College Station last Friday, November 18, thousands gathered on the grassy berm surrounding the Bonfire Memorial’s glowing Spirit Ring to honor the lives of the 12 Aggies who died during the collapse. Golden lights illuminated the memorial’s 12 portals, each bearing the likeness of the Aggie it honors.