Fox News lights inflammable tree outside Midtown HQ after last year’s fire

This one isn’t going down in flames.

Fox News lit an enormous inflammable tree outside their Midtown headquarters on Monday night following last year’s devastating arson attack.

The 50-foot tall tree was unveiled at Fox Square in Midtown during a tree lighting hosted live by Greg Gutfeld, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Dana Perino, Jessica Tarlov and Jesse Watters.

This Christmas tree comes a year after an unhinged firebug torched the 2021 tree outside Fox News’ Midtown headquarters, creating a massive fire.

The arsonist allegedly set the red, white and blue artificial tree ablaze after “thinking about lighting the tree on fire all day,” according to police.

Anchor Gutfeld joked on Monday, “[We will] hit that button to light this sucker up – and not in a bad way.” 

Members of the NYPD, in dress uniform, stand in front of the newly-lit Fox News Christmas tree.
This new Christmas tree will be closely guarded after the 2021 arson attack. Members of the NYPD pose in front of the towering tree.
Getty Images

In early December 2021, homeless Craig Tamanaha set ablaze the Fox News Christmas tree, which stood outside the building that houses Fox News, the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, in a tourist-packed area near Radio City and Rockefeller Center.

He climbed the metal frame of the tree and lit a piece of cardboard to start the blaze, police sources told The Post at the time.

The fire quickly engulfed the 50-foot artificial tree, leaving it totally destroyed, but nobody was hurt. A Fox security guard tackled Tamanaha to the ground before police and firefighters arrived.

The Fox News Christmas tree on fire outside the NewsCorp building.
Flames engulfed the 2021 Christmas tree soon after the arson attack.
Twitter @RajeloNess via REUTERS

Tamanaha faced charges including criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and arson.

Meanwhile, Fox News reinstated a new tree within two days. He last appeared in court on June 10 and is still believed to be on bail. The troublemaker was more recently arrested for exposing himself outside the Ghislaine Maxwell trial in New York City.

So on Monday, the network honored FDNY and NYPD by selecting them to light this year’s tree. It is adorned by 12,000 ornaments and 340,000 lights, plus a star topper over six feet tall.

A source confirmed to The Post, “This new tree is made of flameproof metal.” No word yet on the other materials used on the towering timber.

Guests included first responders from the NYPD and FDNY, including members of NYPD’s Precinct 32, who lost detectives Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera in January, plus members of EMS Station 49, who lost EMS captain Alison Russo earlier this year.

Also on hand were a host of Fox personalities including Sean Hannity, Kellyanne Conway, Bill Hemmer, Ainsley Earhardt, Steve Doocy, Rosanna Scotto, Larry Kudlow and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott.

“America’s Newsroom” and “The Five” anchor Dana Perino told The Post, “The tree lighting is a nice way to say, ‘Ok let’s take a deep breath, let’s go into the season of hope and renewal with some joy and also a chance to celebrate’.”

When asked if this new tree could be flammable, she said, “I certainly hope not. But we will try to do everything we can to make sure that nothing happens to it.

Fox News hosts Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld- with his puppy Gus- and Jesse Watters pose in front of the inflammable Fox News Christmas tree.
The tree may be lit, but it is not going down in flames this year like 2021. Fox News hosts Jessica Tarlow, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino and Greg Gutfeld, with his puppy Gus host the tree lighting.

While hosting the Fox News tree lighting ceremony, anchor Dana Perino, in a cream-colored hat and coat, petting fellow host Greg Gutfeld's new puppy Gus as fellow host Jesse Watters watches on
Dana Perino pets Greg Gutfeld’s new puppy Gus as they prepare to light the 2022 Fox News Christmas tree.

Fox News hosts Dana Perino, Judge Jeanine Pirro and Jessica Tarlov pose with Santa in front of the huge Christmas Tree during Fox News Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 21, 2022 in New York City.
All we want for Christmas is a flame-proof tree.

She added, “But I know that if that were to happen again, we would rally just like we did last year, within 48 hours…..we had the tree re-upped.”

source: nypost.com