COLLEGE STATION, Texas ÷ Standing 35 feet tall on a driving range in Magnolia, Texas, an off-campus bonfire was lighted Tuesday night under a starless sky to a crowd of more than 2,500 Texas A&M students, alumni and Magnolia residents.

The ceremony, which competed with the cold and rainy weather, began with a Silver Taps honoring the victims of the 1999 Aggie Bonfire Collapse followed by a hushed rendition of "The Spirit of Aggieland."

The fire was lighted during a more enthusiastic performance of "The Aggie War Hymn." The wind quickly picked up a combination of smoke, dirt, ash and fire which began to land on observers and tents at the High Meadow Ranch Golf Club.