Bonfire collapse analysis and prevention measures

¶ … USFA TR-133 Bonfire Collapse

The case study regarding the Texas A&M Bonfire collapse started by explaining what types of events are reported by U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) .Usually for an event to be reported by the USFA there are multiple deaths or loss of property; However ultimately the final decision is made on whether or not to report an incident under the premise that there is a lesson to be learned.

November 18, 1999 the ninety year tradition of the pre-game bonfire before the game between Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin collapsed. The bonfire stack consisted of an estimated 5,000 logs. The collapse killed 12 people and wounded 27 others. There were three phases to dealing with the collapse of the bonfire. The first phase consisted of transporting the victims to receive medical attention. Second, extracting victims still trapped by the collapsed logs. The third and final phase consisted of removing the bodies of those killed by the collapse.

Research into what went wrong indicated that there was stress on the hoop from outward pressure in a cylindrical structure caused by lateral force. The lack of metal cables on the first tier reduced the overall strength of the hoop causing the defect and contributing to the collapse of the bonfire. Research also showed that factors within the organization gave way for the structure to be built without much needed oversight. There was a lack of design, no proactive risk management etc. Issues created by the tragic event included: lack of communications, no pre-incident planning, incident management, resource management, community impact, and rumor control.

Over the years the height of the bonfire had begin to grow with each class attempting to outdo their predecessors. In 1969 the height of the bonfire was over 109 feet, in 1970 however parameters were set to insure that the height of the bonfire did not exceed 55 feet; this including safety protocols that too were in place consisting of perimeter poles to hold the structure together.

The main issue associated with rescue and retrieval issues was the 5,000 logs. It was decided that the most practical and safe method of extraction was to remove the logs one by one. There was also a need to stabilize various areas to insure that no further collapse or damage would occur. Once the structure was stabilized the logs were carefully moved one by one. Cranes and manpower were utilized to clear the collapsed logs. It was estimated that recovery efforts would take an additional twenty four hours due to the meticulous efforts being taken for added safety. The extraction efforts were not without problems and strain. Recovery efforts became difficult when it was difficult to identify bodies because of a lack of identification on the victims. Temporary morgues were created to help with housing the bodies, and since there was a lack of a coroner this too was an issue that had to be addressed. Work rosters aided in the identification of the victims.