Texas A&M Agrees to $2.1 Million Bonfire Settlement

Texas A&M agreed to a $2.1 million settlement over the 1999 bonfire tower accident that killed 12 people and injured at least 27, the Austin American-Statesman reports. The 59-foot-tall log tower was part of a 90-year-old tradition that preceded the football team's annual contest against the University of Texas Longhorns. Since the accident, the university has banned the bonfire from its property, and the event is now held off campus by students and alumni.

The university will be responsible for $500,000 of the settlement, with the remaining money provided by insurers. The settlement, which involves the families of four students killed and several of those injured, is the first time the university has had to pay money for bonfire litigation.