An 80ft Christmas tree went up in flames during New Year's Eve celebrations in Russia.
The giant tree burnt quickly despite the cold weather. Credit: East2West News
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The giant Christmas tree, in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, was destroyed in minutes in front of thousands of shocked onlookers.
People were warned to keep clear of the fire while the music continued to play in the background.
Fortunately, there were no injuries reported and people seemed happy to carry on partying and celebrating the new year.
Despite the sub-zero temperatures the tree burned down in minutes, leaving just the metal frame behind.
According to local media, firefighters were called to the incident but it had already burned down by the time they arrived.
A video of the fire has gone viral on social media, where everyone is making the same joke about it being a 'hot New Year's party'. Good ol' Twitter, eh?
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Ancient superstitions in some countries say that burning a
Christmas tree is good luck, as it keeps the evil spirits away. So at least
that's something; the town of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk will be evil-spirit-free in 2018. How many places can say that?
An investigation has been launched into how the fire started, but the good folk's of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk didn't let the massive tree fire put them off celebrating the New Year. Instead they decided to go ahead and let fireworks off at midnight.
Over in Australia, a barge carrying fireworks caught fire, sending fireworks in all directions as terrified party-goers fled screaming.
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Two pyrotechnicians were forced to jump from the barge into the water for safety, with both men later taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries. The boat's owner, Milton Skinner, said the men were 'a bit shaken up' but would be well enough to return to work in a few days. Solid work ethic, LADs. I would be milking that until 2019.
Other minor injuries were reported, but thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.
I feel like the both incidents are a fantastic analogy for the absolute disaster that 2017 was. Happy New Year, guys.
Featured Image Credit: East2West NewsTopics: Christmas, World News, New Year, Russia