The Fernie fire department hosted its annual "Fernie on Fire" Christmas tree blaze on Jan. 4, marking the end of X-Mas and New Year's celebrations.
Old fir, spruce and pine were piled outside the Aquatic Centre, and with the flick of a lighter, were quickly engulfed in flame. The fire was kept alive well into the night as more trees were added to the blaze.
Fire chief Brendan Morgan said they burn an estimated 400 trees per year at the event.
"It gets pretty exciting because a lot of them are pretty dry, so they go up pretty quickly," he said.
A special performance from fire twirlers Ember and Hip Hip Murrae kicked off the festivities.
The event raised $3,300 for Fernie Freestyle Ski Club, through a 50/50 raffle and the Save-On-Foods barbecue and drinks station. Morgan said the crew fundraises for a different cause every year, with the goal of raising over $2,000. In the past, they've given to Fernie Trails Alliance and Elk Valley Suicide Task Force, and raised money for an off-leash dog park.
Morgan said the event also helps teach fire safety during a time of year when house fires are more prevalent.
"We're encouraging people to get their dry dangerous trees out of the house earlier than they might normally," he said.
"If the trees aren't watered they get really dry and they become a pretty serious fire hazard ... All it takes is a little spark. The pine and spruce trees can get pretty hot and they go up pretty fast and it's really hard to put them out once they do start," he explained.
Morgan said Christmas trees rank in the top three most common causes of house fire, along with candles and cooking, causing as many as 200 fires per year in Canada.
In the days leading up to the event, the fire department went around to houses in the Downtown, Annex and Ridgemont neighbourhoods to pick up discarded Christmas trees. Residents outside of the pick-up area were able to drop off their trees.
