State Fair of Texas officials are making Big Tex stronger, smarter, less flammable, more expensive in the wake of the massive mannequin’s spectacular, fiery finish to the 2012 fair.
A wiring fault is blamed for a fire that burned Big Tex down to his metal skeleton going into the fair’s closing weekend in October.
Now, fair President Errol McKoy says the fair icon will get a stronger steel frame, a fire suppression system and fire-retardant duds. And, yes, his mouth will still move; so will one of his hands.
The cost will range from $250,000 to $600,000. But McKoy says it’ll be worthwhile, telling The Dallas Morning News: “He didn’t die. He’s going through rehab.”
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved.