As the great State Fair of Texas closes down tonight until September 2023 we wanted to share this epic, one-of-a-kind Polaroid taken by @kylev75 on October 19, 2012. Kyle shared the Polaroid again on the 19th this year (over on FB) saying: “Can’t believe this was 10 years ago. I was there! Short of maybe the Alamo, few disasters loom as large in Texas history!” For those who didn’t know, on the morning of October 19, 2012, (the final weekend of the 2012 State Fair of Texas, and on Big Tex's 60th birthday) a fire reportedly started inside the framework of Big Tex, spreading quickly as his clothing, face and hat were completely destroyed in minutes. In 2012, The Dallas Morning News reported on the front page in a headline the next day that “He went down talking.” So he* kept saying “Howdy, folks....” as the fairgoers watched in horror as Big Tex was consumed by flames. In 2013 the fair unveiled a new “bigger, heavier and fire-resistant” Big Tex. *At the time, Bill Bragg was the voice of Big Tex.