Texas A&M Aggie Bonfire collapse: Community reflects on 25th anniversary of tragedy

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - It has been 25 years since the deadly bonfire collapse at Texas A&M. The tragedy has impacted the community for years to come.

At 2:42 a.m. on November 18, 1999, Texas A&M University was forever changed.

The 60-foot-tall bonfire, a symbol of school spirit, collapsed. The tragedy was attributed to faulty construction and insufficient oversight. Twelve people were killed, and 27 others were injured that night.

The longtime Aggie tradition started as a way to mark the rivalry with the University of Texas.

"It's the embodiment of the Aggie spirit, which is what I like to call it. So, it's all of our core values," said senior Mason Taylor.

Thousands reflected on the tragic day on its 25th anniversary at Texas A&M University on Monday morning.

In 2003, the school dedicated a memorial on the spot where the stack fell which includes a "spirit ring" with 12 portals representing those who died. The bonfire memorial is made up of three designs to unite the Aggies' past, present, and future.

The annual bonfire was discontinued as an official school sanctioned event after the deadly collapse.

There was talk about bringing the bonfire back to campus this year ahead of the Lonestar matchup, but President Mike Welsh decided against it in June, saying the bonfire was both a wonderful and tragic part of Aggie history and should remain in the past.

Some were grateful for the decision.

"I'm kind of glad to see that it is not continuing at the university. Students are going to do what they are going to do with their own bonfire, but after being out here for what happened, I would prefer to just keep the memory of my friends and why they loved it and let it go," said David Morefield, who witnessed the collapse.

While others believe the tradition should be kept alive.

A student-led effort has continued the tradition 15 miles off campus since 2002.

"For us, it's a living memorial. So, if you look at a lot of people's pots, you know, we have the names of the 12. We haven't forgotten about them. And a lot of families actually do come out here and support us. And to those that don't, they appreciate what we do because we do it safely," said Taylor.

This year, Taylor, who organizes the bonfire, says it will be 32 feet tall made up of 2,500 logs.

"We've never had a major incident in our 21 years of operating, obviously never killed anyone, thank God. And the stack is designed entirely differently than it used to be. So it's a whole hell of a lot safer," said Taylor.

The bonfire will burn on November 29, which is the night before the Texas A&M and UT game.