DALLAS—Big Tex, a 52-foot-tall cowboy who greeted visitors to the State Fair of Texas for 60 years, went up in flames Friday, leaving throngs of distraught Texans across the state.
After the blaze was put out, all that was left of the iconic automaton was his metal frame, his arms (still clad in western shirt sleeves), and his 50-pound belt buckle.
With his 75-gallon hat and Texas drawl, Mr. Tex was the symbol of the largest state fair in the country, a 24-day extravaganza of livestock exhibits and jam competitions, twirling rides and flashing lights.
Concession stands offer all kinds of deep-fried concoctions, including butter, beer and bubble gum, to more than two million visitors a year.
"All of Texas mourns today," wrote one fan on Facebook.
"We'll miss ya big fella," said another.
John McKibben
An electrical malfunction may have caused the fire at Big Tex.
It had already been a rough year for Mr. Tex. A 60th birthday party planned by fair organizers got rained out.
His mechanized hand—which in years past waved as he greeted visitors with his trademark "Howdy folks!"—stopped moving.
Then on Friday morning, at the beginning of the fair's final weekend, his neck started smoking. Officials believe an electrical malfunction caused the fire; investigators are still looking into it.
"Got a rather tall cowboy, all his clothes burned off," firefighters reported from the scene.
Mr. Tex's remains were disassembled and stored while fair officials decide what to do with him.
One thing is clear, said Sue Gooding, a spokeswoman for the fair: Some version of Mr. Tex will stand again on his usual spot when the event opens next September.
Big Tex has had makeovers before. He began life as a giant mechanical Santa Claus in 1949, took on his current persona in 1952, and has undergone multiple bouts of cosmetic surgery over the decades, including procedures to add wrinkles and gray hair to show his age.
Every three years, he gets a new shirt and jeans. His newest outfit, which included a blue and red shirt decorated with Texas stars, was selected through an online poll.
Mr. Tex's voice is supplied by Bill Bragg, who sits in a sound booth near Mr. Tex's giant boots. Mr. Bragg comes up with Mr. Tex's folksy lines live every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Mr. Bragg said someone came in and told him the structure was on fire. He stepped outside the trailer and watched Big Tex burn, the Associated Press reported. "It was a quick end," said Mr. Bragg, who is a radio engineer outside the three weeks a year that he works at the fair.
Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co., which supplies Mr. Tex's western wear, vowed on Twitter to help bring the cowboy back.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, too, is talking about Mr. Tex's return. "We will rebuild Big Tex bigger and better for the 21st Century," he wrote on his Twitter account.
But his comments already have ignited a debate about the new Big Tex, with many clamoring for a fireproof replica of the original.
Ms. Gooding, the fair spokeswoman, said that he will be improved, but still recognizable. One change under consideration, she said: Making him 60 feet tall, in honor of his 60th birthday this year.
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