Story highlights This year’s Fox News Christmas Tree is on fire, apparently a first for the network
Some social media users said they could see sparks from right around the tree
The cause is under investigation.
Like any major holiday, the FOX News Christmas Tree will be something that’s eagerly anticipated by fellow consumers and witnessed by millions of television viewers alike.
Every year, the Fox News set in New York City is decked out with all of the trappings of a Christmas Tree. There’s an electrified 3-foot Christmas tree, a huge metallic tree with snow falling from above and every other holiday merriment you’d expect to find under such a big, glorious tree. But in a turn of events that may not seem particularly out of the ordinary, this year’s tree is on fire.
According to the site Stormteam 4 on Twitter, the Department of Buildings stated on Sunday night that the “tree was found to be on fire as of 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and is currently under investigation.”
The site went on to say that “Authorities believe that the fire started from something under the tree. There were no injuries.”
In addition to the fire itself, social media users on Facebook and Twitter seem to have spotted several small sparks from approximately a block away. That said, it is unclear as to whether or not these sparks are connected to the fire that began at the center of the tree.
@foxandfriends tree on fire in NYC pic.twitter.com/P5mBQH38W7 — William Brakenburg (@WBrakenburg) November 11, 2018
At this time, it is unclear if the original cause of the fire has been determined, or if it is currently burning itself out. On Sunday night, an inspector with the Department of Buildings was on the scene to make sure that the fire was out for good.
The Fire Department of New York has not confirmed nor denied these social media reports.
This hasn’t been the first time that the faux holiday tree has been a source of controversy. According to Channel 9 News in Toronto, this is the first time in the annual tradition’s 21-year history that the tree has caught fire.
Earlier this year, New York City firefighter Tony DePietro put together a video of his attention-grabbing prank that shows the delightfully awkward moment when he decides to light the smoke-filled tree with one of his fire extinguishers.
According to DePietro, an Amazon account tagged “Firefighter Tony” had tweeted him saying that he was “clearing down” and was curious if he could check his carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to ensure everyone was in safe on the frozen, 12-foot tree.
DePietro responded to the man, asking him to tweet him if he was ready. The little man tweeted back “check back later.”
Happy 0’14 final year of voting for the World’s Greatest Christmas Tree! 😂 Check back later… pic.twitter.com/DOEWvbySWd — Firefighter (@firefighterfox24) November 5, 2018
But, apparently, there wasn’t a later. As the fire raged and the heat of the tree grew, smoke shot into the air. Firefighters arrived on the scene just as the flames began to spread across the 23rd floor. Once it was just as hot, they took the opportunity to shoot their first of three carbon monoxide tests.
Though firefighters came to protect the tree from danger, DePietro wasn’t necessarily thrilled about the situation. “It was kind of a sad ending. I was under the impression that it was good publicity, and I had several very positive things to say about the weather conditions, about the absence of wind, which meant, in a way, that I was probably less under the impression of it being a good thing and more under the impression of it being a bad thing,” he told CNN.
The bad thing was that the fire, and in many ways, the event itself, have definitely created quite the controversy.