Hurricane Aftermath Won’t Dim Bayou Bonfires Celebration

The Mississippi River in bayou country tonight will look much as it has in more than a century of Christmas Eves -- with miles of massive bonfires on the levee tops showing Papa Noel, the south Louisiana Santa Claus, the way to children’s homes.

For hurricane evacuees like Rhonda Derenbecker, who lost her home, her office, two cars and nearly every other possession, the sight of something so spectacularly enduring will be more than welcome.

Watching locals work on one of the roughly 100 tepee-shaped structures set up along historic River Road, the Bay St. Louis, Miss., attorney said she was grateful she and her 12-year-old son found comfort with family and newfound friends in such a distinctive location. “I couldn’t have asked for a better place to land,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Residents of Lutcher, Gramercy and Paulina, roughly 30 miles upriver from New Orleans, have spent weeks building the bonfires, which attract thousands of spectators.

“I don’t know what Christmas would be like without bonfires,” said Gerard Roper, who wove bushels of Louisiana cane reed into the 20-foot-tall bonfire he’ll torch Christmas Eve.

Most residents follow the same tradition and build tepee-style bonfires, but some opt for more eye-catching designs. One of this year’s big attractions is a helicopter, complete with propellers made of PVC pipe and silver duct tape, dedicated to the air-rescue workers who plucked people off roofs in Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.

Dozens of Katrina evacuees are expected to celebrate Christmas Eve on the levee, which provides a barrier between the Mississippi River and the many historic homes, such as Oak Alley Plantation, that dot River Road.

Though the bonfire tradition’s origin isn’t certain, some say it’s carried on from French and German customs and sugarcane harvest celebrations. Others say the bonfires originally served as a lighted path for midnight Mass travelers in the fog-prone area.

But ask any child here, and he or she will have another reason: to illuminate the river so Papa Noel can find each child’s home.

There was some concern after the hurricane whether federal inspectors would allow the fires because of the wear and tear on the levees -- some of which were breached in New Orleans after the Aug. 29 storm, flooding the city. Some restrictions are in place -- such as the number of vehicles allowed to be driven on the levee at each bonfire site -- but no one seems to mind.

“We need this levee,” Gerard Roper said. “We respect it.”

The bonfires can take anywhere from one day to several weeks to build and typically are framed with four to six willow tree trunks. They once rose as high as 35 to 40 feet, Roper said, but now can’t exceed 20 feet.

Once the frame is erected, it’s stuffed with driftwood, sticks and scraps of lumber. This year, Roper said, he didn’t have to cut down as many trees, thanks to Hurricane Katrina.

“A man in Paulina called me, said he had some trees down in his yard, so that’s where a lot of our wood came from,” Roper said.

Breeze Vicknair of Lutcher drove up to the wooden helicopter this week and let her 18-month-old nephew, Kaiden Keller, play in the “cockpit.” Over the years, Vicknair has seen bonfires in the shape of trawlers, plantation homes, trains, pirogues and even a New Orleans Saints helmet.

The helicopter, which now ranks as one of her favorites, includes two pilot seats, a control panel and a wooden machine gun near the entry door.

“I love the detail,” Vicknair said. “And I think it’s a nice tribute to our military.”