1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 
Recovery operation the morning after the incident
|
|
| Date | November 18, 1999 |
|---|---|
| Time | 02:42 (CST) (UTC−5) |
| Location | College Station, Texas, US |
| Cause | Excessive internal stresses on logs and inadequate wiring strength on ties |
| Deaths | 12 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 27 |
On November 18, 1999, at about 2:42 in the morning, a large structure called the Aggie Bonfire collapsed. This happened at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, USA. The collapse occurred while students were building the bonfire. Sadly, 12 people died and 27 others were hurt.
What Happened During the Collapse?
The bonfire was a huge stack of about 5,000 logs, standing 59 feet tall. It fell apart while students and former students were working on it. Out of 58 people building the stack, 12 lost their lives and 27 were injured.
Right after the collapse, a student group called the Texas A&M Emergency Care Team (TAMECT) quickly helped the injured. These students were trained to give first aid. They called the University Police and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) for more help. Other emergency teams from nearby towns like College Station and Bryan also rushed to the scene. Even a special state rescue team, Texas Task Force 1, came to assist.
Rescuing everyone took more than 24 hours. Workers had to remove many logs by hand. They did this carefully to avoid causing more parts of the stack to fall, which could hurt people still trapped. Many students, including the entire Texas A&M football team and members of the Corps of Cadets, helped move the logs. Experts from the Texas A&M civil engineering department also helped decide the safest way to remove the logs. A company called Steely Lumber Company sent special equipment and workers to help move the heavy logs.
One person, John Comstock, was the last living person rescued from the pile. He was seriously injured and spent many months recovering in the hospital. John returned to Texas A&M in 2001 to finish his degree.
Why Did the Bonfire Collapse?
Texas A&M University created a special group to find out why the bonfire fell. They found that several things caused the collapse. One reason was that the logs inside the stack were pushing too hard against each other. This created "excessive internal stresses." Also, the wires used to tie the logs together were not strong enough. These wires broke when logs from the top parts got "wedged" into the lower parts of the stack.
In 2000, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers announced something important. They said that the Aggie Bonfire was a complex building project. This meant it should have been designed and watched over by a professional engineer, according to state laws.
