Wet weather doesn't extinguish tree burning

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood - A smokin' good time was had by all at Saturday's "Light Up The Night" party next to Jake Randa Memorial Field in Ironwood.

Winter weather both helped and hurt the event by offering mild temperatures, on one hand, while also leaving a fresh layer of dense snow on the pile of about 250 Christmas trees that gradually went up in flames with the help of an attentive fire-keeping team.

Members of Ironwood's Norrie Amateur Sports Club, Inc. offered the event for the 11th time, and it included not only the main bonfire, but also a mini campfire for kids, who were welcome to roast marshmallows, sip hot chocolate, and play on snowbanks while adults sipped more spirited beverages.

Rod Smith, former club president, lit the fire at precisely 7 p.m., while DJ Jackal aptly played "Are You Ready for A Good Time?" by ACDC. The DJ also thanked members of the crowd more than once for their patience with the process, as well as the smoke and steam, which he said was greater than usual due to the wet trees.

Dozens of people circled the fire, roaring with it as it soared to each new level. It took about 45 minutes to achieve a consistently lively burn, but continuing music and fireworks helped to entertain viewers throughout that time.

"Mother Nature just dealt us a bad hand with that snow," said Norrie Club President Steve Lehto, who was helping other club members to coax the fire along by tossing in cardboard and wood scraps into the blaze.

Meanwhile, club treasurer Joe Pisco used a propane blowtorch to feed the fire near the ground. "Usually, it takes just five minutes and it takes off," he said, but he added that the recent snow had drenched the trees, some of which were still festooned with red holiday ribbons.

Pisco said members never use more volatile accelerants, such as oil, that could cause danger to the crowd. "I'd rather take longer and do it right," he said.

He added that each year's event is a team effort. "We all kind of pitch in," he said of club members, explaining that they all also contributed funds for the fireworks managed by Neil Corcoran.

Additional Christmas trees circled the fire and were occasionally tossed in by Smith, Lehto, club vice president Ron Eliason, and other members who worked diligently to guard the glow.

Onlooker Scott Worthington of Gile, Wisconsin, who was attending the burn for the first time, said it was "kind of entertaining to watch the heave-ho go." He was there with Janine Strand of Ironwood, who agreed that the overall effect was "pretty neat."

It was a happy crowd, which even included one man in a knit cap with devilish ears, sauntering like a mild-mannered Satan around the inferno.

Prior to the bonfire, neighboring Manny's Restaurant offered a steak and chicken buffet, and Norrie Club members also organized a short snowshoe hike for people of all skill levels.

Lehto expected the crowd to remain until late in the evening, after which Pisco said members would monitor the fire until it went out.