Santa Fe shoots off fireworks before setting fire to the 50-foot marionette Zozobra, which embodies all the troubles of the previous year. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Michael Sedillo, 37, center, wears a Zozobra costume as he waits for the figure to burn, taking a year of problems with it. Sedillo, who is mourning the death of his brother this year, has always attended the event and calls it “more important than my birthday or Christmas.” (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Westin McDowell, 26, who just lost his job and broke up with his girlfriend, waits in costume for Zozobra to burn. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Zozobra, also known as Old Man Gloom, goes up in flames. The marionette’s body is filled with things people want to burn: wedding dresses, paid mortgage papers, slips of paper with problems written on them. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Arthur Lopez shows off his Zozobra tattoo. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Louis Lopez and Erika Gomez watch the fireworks marking the burning of Zozobra. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
As Zozobra blinks, growls and waves his arms, the fire that will consume him begins in his mouth. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Michael Sedillo cheers as Zozobra begins to burn. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
Patricia Yara, 20, rallies the crowd before the burning of Zozobra. About 20,000 people attended. (Craig Fritz / For The Los Angeles Times)
