As usual, on Friday night, the infamous bonfire was held. Throughout the day, several beat-up console cabinets were set up near a fire pit, and during the evening, they started the blasphemy. Here are several photos I took of it. Warning: extremely graphic radio destruction content ahead!



Another cabinet is added to the meager set:

After dark, on the other side of Just Grillin', they had a small second bonfire going:

They were also lighting Chinese lanterns:

I swear that's a lantern floating away:

Another lantern goes up and away:


An early view of the main bonfire:




A view of the condemned, in the dark:

A grandfather clock radio cabinet:


A stereo console cabinet added to the condemned shortly before the festivities begin:

Peter starts his usual fireworks show:



Some of my attempts at taking photos of the fireworks:
















Back to the bonfire, where a '20s radio cabinet has been placed into the pit:
















And down it goes:

Someone attempts to throw some radio scraps into the pit:

It's not very effective:

A mini-bar cabinet is readied:

Placed upside-down for some reason:




Managed to burn quite well, though:






Not for long, however:

Another '20s radio cabinet, this time with spindly legs:











Probably about to go:

Tips over, but doesn't completely collapse:



Not sure I've ever seen a radio cabinet with a speaker grille frame like this:



Finally, the rest of the spindly legs give out:

Someone throws a piece of debris next to the cabinet:





Now it's the stereo cabinet's turn, plus some more debris:

A couple of smaller cabinets are placed on top, completing our Towering Inferno for the night:









The flames reach the upper story:




Boy, that escalated quickly:











A rare instance of the upper cabinets giving out before the base does:





But it does collapse eventually:







A small double decker is constructed:




Burns pretty well, though:










And down it goes in a shower of sparks:


And now the grandfather clock radio goes in, placed on top of a piece of wood:





It's taking its sweet time to go up, though the finish can be seen bubbling near the bottom:





Then all of a sudden...





The fire ran up the clock!






A few minutes later, its time is up (rimshot)







A leftover speaker cabinet is thrown in, causing more sparks to fly:


Someone re-orients the speaker cabinet:








Another Chinese lantern is readied, and (eventually) floats away:





While the bonfire continues to burn down:







One last shot of the other bonfire:

A few shots of the fire pit the morning after, including an aluminum can someone threw in for some reason:



Back to the Kutztown 48 photo page