‘Burn, beetle, burn’: Hundreds of people torch an effigy of destructive bug in South Dakota town

People carry torches en route to the beetle before setting it on fire during the 11th annual Burning Beetle event on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at Pageant Park in Custer, S.D. The event was created in response to the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation a few years ago and continues to raise awareness of the impact of the beetles. (Matt Gade/Rapid City Journal via AP)

Fireworks go off while the beetle goes up in flames after being set on fire during the 11th annual Burning Beetle event on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at Pageant Park in Custer, S.D. The event was created in response to the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation a few years ago and continues to bring awareness to the impact of the beetles. (Matt Gade/Rapid City Journal via AP)