14 DAY TRIAL // Iconic 52-foot Big Tex mascot caught on fire at yesterday's State Fair in Texas, at Dallas’ Fair Park. After Big Tex first lit up, it only took 10 minutes for the whole statue to burn to the ground.
According to SmartMeetings, only the hands, the metal frame and the renowned belt buckle remained out of the giant mascot. Officials state that the fire followed an electrical malfunction, in Big Tex's big boot.
Big Tex has been a symbol of the Texas State Fair since 1952, and had just celebrated his 60th birthday. He greeted folks when they entered the park, and announced events. Bill Bragg, the current voice of the mascot, was sitting in a trailer nearby, broadcasting announcements, when he saw the mascot fire up.
“We were all just hoping that it would be a bad dream and we’d wake up and everything would be OK,” he said.
State fair organizers promise that Big Tex will be back next year, bigger and better than ever.