The news article “Fox News Christmas Tree Is Set on Fire in Manhattan”, written by Mike Ives and published by the New York Times, reports on a alleged arson in Manhattan.

According to the article, the 50 foot tall tree was extinguished and a man was arrested for setting it on fire right after. 49 year old Craig Tamanaha was observed by security and other witnesses commit the crime. The motive of the arson is not clear and is speculated by the article to be a result of drug abuse. The article writes about Tamanaha’s previous arrests for drug abuse and also mentions that he is homeless. Given that the Christmas tree is a symbol for tradition and christian ceremonies, one could have also assumed that this was an act of terror. Further because the article mentions other arsons of Christmas trees such as the one at the Washington Square or the Jack London Square last Monday. Moreover, the article also unsuccessfully tried to get a statement from the lighting company about whether or not the fire could have been the result of a defect light.

The article finishes with quotes on how important the tradition is to spread the Christmas spirit and that the tree will be replaced immediately. This gives hope to the reader and a sense of ‘this is not going to get us down’ to finish off the story.