Local people in a rural town have been running through the streets with flaming tar barrels above their heads
Organisers say "not much can prepare you" for the tradition of Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels
The "ancient rite of passage" sees the Devon town's population more than double to 20,000
"Sometimes the barrels might leak and the tar gets on their hair," says local barber Petra Brown who compares the event to Christmas Day
Spectators were told to lean away from the flaming barrels amid safety warnings, though the fire service did say it was "ironically" fairly safe
Organisers say the event is linked to the gunpowder plot of 1605
Watch back our coverage of the event on BBC iPlayer
We're wrapping up our live coverage of the Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels.
Remember you can watch back our coverage of the event, which was expected to run until midnight, on the BBC iPlayer.
Thanks for joining us.
If you missed it or want to watch our Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels coverage you can on BBC iPlayer.
Mike Down says the tar barrel is laid down and gently rolled to get it "nice and hot".
He says they want to get the tar burning but not too much because they need to keep the tar within the barrel.
"It needs to stay in there to keep it burning all the way through its life," he says.
"Once we deem it’s hot enough by touching the outside of the barrel and feeling if it's warm, we then tell whoever has the privilege of picking it up to pick it up.
"They then can pick it up and that’s the commencement of the barrel."
The barrels are gathered from cider and winemakers across the country and the inside is coated with tar to help control the burn time.
They contain a mixture of paper and straw which is then set alight.
Andrew Wade, president of the Tar Barrels Committee, says: "Someone who is doing the heating of the barrel will decide when it's ready and off they go, they pick it up, run around and pass it to each other."
Erin Black
in Ottery St Mary
We've just had one of the men's barrels lit in front of us.
There are thousands of people surrounding the barrel when it's lit.
They are rolling it back and forth on the ground and then helping each other hoist it on to their shoulders which is accompanied by a big whoop when it's successfully up.
Everyone is really good spirits and excited to be here - they all want a bit of the action and are following the barrels.
Victoria Graham
BBC Spotlight
The Tar Barrel Rolling here in Ottery St Mary is still in full flow tonight.
The flames are leaping into the sky and smoke is filling the air with thousands of people still in the town square here.
Ottery St Mary is in absolute lockdown.
It started at 16:00 GMT with children and small barrels on their shoulders and then at 00:00 the really big barrels are finally lit.
The flames are getting bigger and bigger.
It's exciting and a bit nerve-racking.
You can watch back our coverage of the Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels as residents ran through the streets with flaming barrels of tar on their backs.
Erin Black
in Ottery St Mary
You can feel the heat from the barrels from about 10 to 15 metres away - they are so big and so hot.
The flames are licking out the sides as they are carried.
And you can tell how important the event is to people in the community.
Its reputation precedes itself and people return as it's so much fun.
The youngest and oldest participant in this year's Ottery Tar Barrels have been speaking.
Jessica, 7, told Les White, 69, she was "excited and a little bit nervous".
Hattie says she started tar barrel rolling "late" when she was 12 years old.
"You have to do it as a kid to be able to qualify to be able to do it as an adult," she says.
She says her brothers, aunties, cousins and both her grandfathers have taken part in the event, making it a true family tradition.
She has burnt herself many times over the years and, in preparation for tonight, was wearing a welders apron on her shoulders as well as a beanie and hood.
Petroleum jelly helps prevents the ash and tar from the barrels sticking to her face, she says.
Cameron Weldon
in Ottery St Mary
They are lighting a barrel right in front of me outside the London Inn, a vantage point in the town.
Someone is going to be pretty brave and pick this up and put it on their back and charge with it.
Hundreds of people are surrounding it and have their phones out ready to catch the action.
Soon they will run and it will cause quite the commotion.
Chief steward Paul Gibbons says the volunteers are the "eyes and ears" of the event.
"We enjoy it, and if we all don't do our integral part of the team, this event won't happen," he says.
"We never say we've pulled it off until the fat lady sings, as they say."
Victoria Graham
BBC Spotlight
The live stream of the event has now ended but stick with us as we continue to bring you text updates.
It's been a flaming marvellous night.
Maddie Small, who is rolling five barrels this evening and is covered in soot, says the "adrenaline just takes over".
This is her 11th year participating in the event and she says participating is a family tradition.
"It’s a normal town, a normal school, everyone has normal jobs, but tonight is the night we all come together," she says.
Talking about her outfit, she says: “I’ve got lots of layers on and we all wear a top on top to prove who we are.
“The gloves are hessian sacks, and they’re wrapped multiple times and tied with wire to protect our hands.
"They’re not fireproof so they are soaked in water overnight."
Alex Rummery, who returned to Ottery St Mary from Australia for the event, has been speaking to the BBC's Victoria Graham.
He says the event is "absolutely normal" for people in the Devon town.
"People don't really believe it [in Australia]."
He says: "It's 100% what makes Ottery and it needs to continue.
"It's absolutely wonderful to be home."
The BBC's Victoria Graham and Erin Black are speaking to people in Ottery St Mary.
Follow live on BBC iPlayer or click the link above.
