Firefighters battled a blaze at the State Fair of Texas on Tuesday morning, causing damage to a portion of the fair.
Karissa Condoianis, Senior Vice President of Public Relations with the State Fair of Texas, told local ABC affiliate WFAA that the damage was minimal and that the fair will still open at 10 a.m. A portion of the Midway will remain closed, though she noted it should not affect overall operations. An investigation is underway.
Condoianis said the call came in around 7:08 a.m. and that Dallas Fire Rescue responded quickly.
“We actually heard we had a vendor on site today that overheard some noise, and that’s what helped identify what was happening and be able to notify Dallas Fire Rescue as soon as possible so that they could get on the grounds,” Condoianis told WFAA. “They were here within minutes, spraying water on this … which was able to minimize the damage to the Midway.”
Condoianis also noted that the fair’s plush prizes at the booth “melted” instead of catching flame, helping to minimize the damage.
Texans will remember the State Fair’s major fire on Oct. 19, 2012, that claimed its iconic mascot, Big Tex. An electrical fire was found to have started in Tex’s right boot, eventually destroying the 52-foot cowboy. Big Tex was rebuilt in time for the 2013 State Fair of Texas.
The State Fair of Texas runs until Oct. 18.