Vandals set fire to Key West’s iconic Southernmost Point landmark

Key West police are on the hunt for two men who burned part of the iconic Southernmost Point buoy in the early hours of 2022.

The widely photographed tourist attraction, which reads “90 miles to Cuba, Southernmost Point, Continental USA,” was charred when the vandals lit a Christmas tree on fire in front of the monument around 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

The flames were captured by webcam images of the site, which also showed the two men igniting the blaze. The fire was put out without incident by firefighters.

Web cam footage captures two men setting fire to a Christmas tree at the foot of the iconic Southernmost Point buoy in Key West.
Webcam footage captures two men setting fire to a Christmas tree in front of Key West’s iconic Southernmost Point buoy.
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Arsonists set fire to a Christmas tree on the Southernmost Point buoy in Key West.
The fire left part of the landmark charred.
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A Christmas tree that was set on fire by arsonists by the Southernmost Point buoy dies down.
The arsonists are still at large, police said.
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Police inspect the scene where arsonists set fire to a Christmas tree.
Police inspect the scene where arsonists set fire to a Christmas tree.
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This photo provided by The City of Key West, Fla., shows Southernmost Point buoy on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022 in Key West, Fla. Police are searching for two people who burned a part of Key West’s famous Southernmost Point buoy early New Year’s Day after setting a fire near the landmark tourism icon.
Charring seen on the historic landmark.
AP

Later in the day, people gathered to snap photos in front of the badly burned giant red, black and white buoy.

The site is the southernmost point of Key West’s street grid, but there are parts of Florida that are situated further south. The true southernmost point of the US is in Hawaii.

With Post wires