Fashion Island welcomes a new tree for the holidays, with decorating to follow

How many people does it take to install a giant Christmas tree?

In Fashion Island’s case, at least 10, plus another guy to capture the process on a cellphone, a chainsaw operator for last-minute cutting and several more to help oversee the process.

The Newport Beach shopping center started its holiday decorating at about 6 a.m. Wednesday when crews and security staff started preparing the courtyard near the Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie stores for the arrival of this year’s tree.

The 90-foot, 12,000-pound white fir from Mt. Shasta, 650 miles away, soon rolled in atop a truck bed as about a dozen onlookers snapped cellphone pictures.

Workers from San Juan Capistrano-based Victor’s Custom Christmas Trees — wearing matching shirts and hard hats and fueled with coffee and energy drinks — used a tall crane and sturdy ropes to lift the tree.

From there, the crane operator carefully hoisted the giant specimen into the courtyard’s pre-dug pit. Victor’s workers hopped into the pit and used pieces of wood to keep the tree up. Some occasionally scurried out to see from a distance whether the tree was standing straight.

The white fir now will be decorated with about 20,000 lights and ornaments. In the moving process, about 200 branches were removed, but as many as 600 more will be added to give it more body.

After the holiday season, the tree will be recycled.

Fashion Island’s traditional tree-lighting ceremonies are scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 17 and 18. The events will include actor and TV personality Mario Lopez as host, a visit from Santa Claus and a musical show by the Young Americans.

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Twitter: @BradleyZint