South Coast Plaza welcomes 96-foot tree for holidays

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A 200-ton crane positions a 96-foot white fir tree from Mount Shasta into place Tuesday morning at Town Center Park near the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel across from the South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa. The tree will be decorated with 100,000 LED lights for the holidays.

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot )

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John Nguyen, left, and Kyle McEachran maneuver a 96-foot white fir before it is lifted into place for the South Coast Plaza Christmas tree on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot )

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George James with Victor’s Custom Christmas Trees cuts a notch in the bottom of the 96-foot white fir before it’s placed at the Town Center Plaza on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot )

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A 200-ton crane lifts a 96-foot white fir into place at Town Center Plaza near the Westin South Coast Plaza on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot )

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Sinhue Hernandez, left, and Don Brothwell take photos of the tree being lifted into place at the Town Center Plaza on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot )

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Angel Ayala with Victor’s Custom Christmas Trees prepares to help stabilize a 96-foot white fir tree as it’s being lifted from a truck on Tuesday.

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot )

By Daily Pilot staff

Oct. 11, 2016 1:22 PM PT

South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa renewed its annual holiday tradition Tuesday morning with the arrival of a 96-foot-tall white fir tree from Mount Shasta.

The towering tree, delivered by flatbed truck and lifted by a 200-ton crane, is positioned at Town Center Park behind the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel across Bristol Street from the shopping mall.

South Coast Plaza’s tree arrives in October each year because it takes crews several weeks to prepare and decorate it.

This year, the 20,000-pound tree will be adorned with 100,000 LED lights — five times the amount of light on last year’s tree. It is the first one to be illuminated with LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs.

Last year’s tree was destroyed by a fire Dec. 14 apparently caused by an electrical malfunction. It was replaced by light strands containing 8,000 bulbs in the shape of a tree.

The new tree will be treated with fire retardant.

The 35th annual tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 17. Admission is free, and complimentary refreshments will be served.

South Coast Plaza is at 3333 Bristol St. For more information, call (800) 782-8888 or visit southcoastplaza.com.