UPDATE:

Officials at Fox News report that they will be having a ceremony for a new tree tonight after yesterday morning's incident in which a man climbed the tree and set it on fire.

Craig Tamanaha, Christmas Tree Fire Suspect
Photo courtesy of Fox News
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Unbelievably, the man who is alleged to have set the fire was set free with no bail based on lax laws in the city. Now, to show both sides of this issue, Craig Tamanaha, says he didn't do this. As he was leaving court last night after his arraignment he made that statement to the gathered press.

Fox News explains the court process in their report,

The arson and other charges Tamanaha was facing--including criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass--were considered misdemeanors, not requiring a bail payment under liberal New York City's laws, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bayley told the Post.

 

ORIGINAL STORY (12/08/21)

Talk about a grinch, a man has been arrested for setting the 50-foot Christmas Tree outside of the Fox News studio in Manhattan on fire.

Sean Hannity's Photo of Fox Christmas Tree Fire
Photo via Sean Hannity
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According to Fox News, the whole situation began to unfold just after midnight Wednesday when Fox security noticed a man climbing the red, white, and blue-themed tree. Police have yet to publicly identify the man arrested in connection with the fire.

Fox News Christmas Tree 2,
Twitter.comSCPatriotSC
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Here is a video from nbcnewyork.com, just click on this link.

When police were called the New York Police Department officers witnessed a man running from the scene, and that person was abruptly arrested.  No one was injured as a result of the fire, but several other smaller trees near the larger one did catch fire.

Police are not revealing very many details at this time, and they have not said whether or not any type of accelerant was used to help the fire spread.

This tree had 100,000 lights, and it was also decorated with 10,000 glass ornaments.

According to ABC News 7 in New York, the man that was arrested is 49-years-old, and he did have a lighter in his possession upon his arrest. They also say there was a celebration of the tree this past Sunday. It took twenty-one hours to put that tree together. Now, officials are working to clean up the scene.

 

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