Big Tex Burned Down Today at the State Fair

State Fair mascot Big Tex has gone up in flames. It's still not clear what caused the fire, which is reported to be "under control." Remembering Big Tex: "Big Tex Gets a Makeover," by Allison V. Smith Alice Laussade's exclusive interview with Big Tex "Big Tex Will Haunt Your Dreams,"...

By Anna Merlan

October 19, 2012

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State Fair mascot Big Tex has gone up in flames. It's still not clear what caused the fire, which is reported to be "under control."

Remembering Big Tex: "Big Tex Gets a Makeover," by Allison V. Smith Alice Laussade's exclusive interview with Big Tex "Big Tex Will Haunt Your Dreams," by Robert Wilonsky

Photos from fair-goers show Big Tex burned to a blackened crisp, surrounded by fire trucks. I live nearby, and I can hear both fire-trucks and helicopters overhead. We'll have more for you as this develops. To quote fellow staff-writer Brantley Hargrove, "I feel like my heart is breaking."

Update, 11:09 a.m.: A State Fair spokeswoman told Fox 4 the fire was seen coming from his neck and might have been "electrical in nature."

More photos below and video below:

Here's the first video we've seen of Big Tex burnin' down.

More photos below, including a really old, not-on-fire one.

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