Fire behavior in Midtown Manhattan: single tree torching

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Torching Christmas tree in Manhattan
Torching Christmas tree in Manhattan, Courtesy Citizen App/WABC

A 49-year old man was taken into custody accused of setting ablaze the 50-foot Christmas tree outside Fox New’s headquarters in Midtown Manhattan early Wednesday morning.

From WABC:

Police say the 49-year-old suspect climbed up “the metal superstructure” — the tree is an artificial sculpture that is shaped to look like a tree — lit papers he brought with him on fire, and shoved the papers into the tree structure.

He then climbed down and watched from the street level as it burned, and he was spotted by building security who pointed the man out to police officers posted in nearby Rockefeller Center.

Reportedly the fire spread to some smaller decorated trees nearby, but without photographic verification, we can’t describe it as a crown fire.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

6 thoughts on “Fire behavior in Midtown Manhattan: single tree torching”

  1. Maybe, if Fox News would have raked the ground around the Christmas Tree it wouldn’t have caught on fire. Haha!

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  2. I thought those were supposed to be fire resistant, looks like the real thing. Would like to see FDNY throw dirt!

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  3. Not really a tree either. Looked like branches on a metal frame.
    Sad. Many homeless folks suffer from mental illness.

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  4. This is yet another example of what our country is coming to; we’re in a downhill slide if we all don’t start standing up for our country.
    Bill: I know you won’t accept “political statements” and I don’t view my comment above as such and I have not mentioned any political party. I’m just “an old guy” who loves America.

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    1. Not every tree set afire is a political statement. Arsonists are not generally known as clear thinking humans. Check out the articles on Wildfire Today tagged “arson.”

      For example, the Fawn Fire.

      [Souverneva] said she was thirsty and had found a puddle in a dry creek bed but that it contained bear urine. She said she tried to filter the water using a tea bag but that didn’t work so she tried to start a fire to boil the water. She said it was too wet to start a fire so she drank the water and continued walking uphill.

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