A towering 75-foot Christmas tree, adorned with festive decorations, erupted into flames during a lights switch-on ceremony, leaving onlookers in shock.
Thick clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky as the dramatic scene unfolded in the bustling city center.
The fire broke out on the evening of December 19 in downtown Manaus, Brazil, shortly after the lights on the tree were switched on.
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Witnesses initially detected the sharp smell of burning plastic before spotting smoke rising from the tree.
Panic quickly ensued as people scrambled to safety.
Alesson da Costa, a local resident, had brought his young son to admire the holiday centerpiece.
Reflecting on the incident, he told local media: “It was absolutely stunning, but the moment they turned on the lights, the tree burst into flames.
We ran away in fear.”
The Christmas tree, installed by the Amazonas State Department of Culture, is believed to have caught fire due to a short circuit.
Fortunately, firefighters were already on site conducting maintenance work and acted swiftly to extinguish the flames.
No injuries were reported, but the fire caused significant damage to the tree’s internal wiring.
Authorities cordoned off the area to carry out necessary repairs, according to reports from vknews24.
Despite the incident, officials assured the public that festive events in the vicinity would continue as planned.
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SOURCE: Huge festive fir catches fire after lights switch-on
