gg ie ▁community ▁simply ▁as ▁" B on fire ". ▁The ▁event ▁symbol ized ▁A gg ie ▁students ' ▁" burn ing ▁desire ▁to ▁beat ▁the ▁hell ▁out ta ▁t . u .", ▁a ▁der og atory ▁nick name ▁for ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Texas . ▁The ▁bon fire ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁lit ▁around ▁Thanks g iving ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁festiv ities ▁surrounding ▁the ▁annual ▁football ▁game . ▁Early ▁bon f ires ▁were ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁p iles ▁of ▁tr ash , ▁but ▁the ▁event ▁gradually ▁became ▁more ▁organized ▁and ▁eventually ▁grew ▁to ▁an ▁immense ▁size , ▁setting ▁the ▁world ▁record ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁Bon fire ▁col lapsed ▁during ▁construction , ▁killing ▁ 1 1 ▁students ▁and ▁one ▁former ▁student ▁and ▁inj uring ▁ 2 7 ▁others . ▁The ▁accident ▁led ▁Texas ▁A & M ▁to ▁declare ▁a ▁hi atus ▁on ▁an ▁official ▁Bon fire . ▁However , ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁a ▁student - sp ons ored ▁coal ition ▁has ▁constructed ▁an ▁annual ▁uns an ction ed , ▁off - camp us ▁" Student ▁Bon fire " ▁in ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁its ▁prede cess or . ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁The ▁students ▁of ▁the ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Mechan ical ▁College ▁of ▁Texas , ▁known ▁as ▁A gg ies , ▁burn ed ▁their ▁first ▁bon fire ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁to ▁con gr at ulate ▁the ▁football ▁team ▁on ▁a