Oofty Goofty
10-19-2012, 05:53 PM
A fire destroyed Big Tex this morning at the State Fair of Texas.
The blaze was reported shortly after 10:15 a.m. at the fairgrounds in Dallas, where the fair is in its final days this weekend.
"It's a very sad day for all fair-goers," fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding said. "It's a sad way to end the fair."
But she added, "We're so glad that at no point anyone at the fair was in danger."
Firefighters were first sent to the scene by an unusual report from a Dallas Fire-Rescue dispatcher:
"Got a rather tall cowboy with all his clothes burned off," the dispatcher said over the radio.
Allen Ferrell, who was visiting the fair with a church group from North Richland Hills, said the fire was short-lived.
"Big Tex was done in about 10 minutes," he said.
Gooding said smoke first emanated from Big Tex’s neck, and she suspects the fire was electrical in nature.
She said a crew had been working this week on the collar area, and a motor moves the statue's giant mouth as he greets fair-goers with his iconic "Howdy, folks."
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Joel Lavender said the origin has yet to be determined.
"We just got to rule out any possible causes of the fire, and that's what we're working on right now," he said.
Only Big Texas' hands, Dickies belt buckle and skeletal structure were left of the giant cowboy that has welcomed fairgoers for 60 years.
Police blocked off the area, and firefighters hosed down hot spots in the wreckage. Crews then began disassembling the frame.
Mayor Mike Rawlings said it was a shocking loss for the fair.
"Big things happen in Dallas, and Big Tex was a symbol of that. I'm sure we'll rebuild him and make him better than ever for the 21st century."
Rawlings rushed to the fairgrounds shortly after he heard the news.
"Everyone is so emotional about this," he said. "I guess I thought I’d pay my respects to Big Tex."
Fourteen-year-old Kyle Hazelib was visiting the fair for the first time Friday with his father. They arrived just after the fire was extinguished.
"It’s just a real shame," he said, regretting that he never saw the fair icon intact.
Kyle's father, Rick, said he hadn't seen Big Tex in person since he was 8 years old.
“This is really startling," he said. "I'm just shocked."
Reached on his cellphone shortly before noon, Bill Bragg picked up his cellphone and said: “This is Big Tex.”
Bragg, the voice of Big Tex since 2002, sounded drained.
"It's a very sad day," he said. "It’s a loss of an icon."
During the fair, Bragg sits in his trailer near the base of Big Tex throughout the day and speaks live. This morning, Bragg was announcing, reading from a script, not paying attention to Big Tex. Then he looked up and saw the flames.
"I could not believe my eyes," he said. "It was sadness and shock. We were all just hoping that it would be a bad dream and we’d wake up and everything would be OK.”
Bragg turned off the audio equipment and left the trailer. Then he stood outside with a crowd of onlookers.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched Big Tex burn.
"He went down talking," Bragg said.
But Bragg says that everything will be OK.
"It’s a new beginning," he said. "Because we’re going to build him back bigger and better than ever."
Aside from the fire, life went on at the fair. Not too far from Big Tex, people ate curly fries and onion rings. In front of the Hall of State, boys and girls dressed in cowboy hats and boots danced to country music.
And in the Auto Show, just steps from the burned hulk of Big Tex, fair-goers gawked at brand-new cars.
During a presentation for one of the cars, a song blared:
"Happy trails to you, until we meet again."
The blaze was reported shortly after 10:15 a.m. at the fairgrounds in Dallas, where the fair is in its final days this weekend.
"It's a very sad day for all fair-goers," fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding said. "It's a sad way to end the fair."
But she added, "We're so glad that at no point anyone at the fair was in danger."
Firefighters were first sent to the scene by an unusual report from a Dallas Fire-Rescue dispatcher:
"Got a rather tall cowboy with all his clothes burned off," the dispatcher said over the radio.
Allen Ferrell, who was visiting the fair with a church group from North Richland Hills, said the fire was short-lived.
"Big Tex was done in about 10 minutes," he said.
Gooding said smoke first emanated from Big Tex’s neck, and she suspects the fire was electrical in nature.
She said a crew had been working this week on the collar area, and a motor moves the statue's giant mouth as he greets fair-goers with his iconic "Howdy, folks."
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Joel Lavender said the origin has yet to be determined.
"We just got to rule out any possible causes of the fire, and that's what we're working on right now," he said.
Only Big Texas' hands, Dickies belt buckle and skeletal structure were left of the giant cowboy that has welcomed fairgoers for 60 years.
Police blocked off the area, and firefighters hosed down hot spots in the wreckage. Crews then began disassembling the frame.
Mayor Mike Rawlings said it was a shocking loss for the fair.
"Big things happen in Dallas, and Big Tex was a symbol of that. I'm sure we'll rebuild him and make him better than ever for the 21st century."
Rawlings rushed to the fairgrounds shortly after he heard the news.
"Everyone is so emotional about this," he said. "I guess I thought I’d pay my respects to Big Tex."
Fourteen-year-old Kyle Hazelib was visiting the fair for the first time Friday with his father. They arrived just after the fire was extinguished.
"It’s just a real shame," he said, regretting that he never saw the fair icon intact.
Kyle's father, Rick, said he hadn't seen Big Tex in person since he was 8 years old.
“This is really startling," he said. "I'm just shocked."
Reached on his cellphone shortly before noon, Bill Bragg picked up his cellphone and said: “This is Big Tex.”
Bragg, the voice of Big Tex since 2002, sounded drained.
"It's a very sad day," he said. "It’s a loss of an icon."
During the fair, Bragg sits in his trailer near the base of Big Tex throughout the day and speaks live. This morning, Bragg was announcing, reading from a script, not paying attention to Big Tex. Then he looked up and saw the flames.
"I could not believe my eyes," he said. "It was sadness and shock. We were all just hoping that it would be a bad dream and we’d wake up and everything would be OK.”
Bragg turned off the audio equipment and left the trailer. Then he stood outside with a crowd of onlookers.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched Big Tex burn.
"He went down talking," Bragg said.
But Bragg says that everything will be OK.
"It’s a new beginning," he said. "Because we’re going to build him back bigger and better than ever."
Aside from the fire, life went on at the fair. Not too far from Big Tex, people ate curly fries and onion rings. In front of the Hall of State, boys and girls dressed in cowboy hats and boots danced to country music.
And in the Auto Show, just steps from the burned hulk of Big Tex, fair-goers gawked at brand-new cars.
During a presentation for one of the cars, a song blared:
"Happy trails to you, until we meet again."