Iconic Texas giant troll burns down in mysterious fire as heartbroken artist speaks out
A giant troll sculpture in Austin, Texas, known as 'Malin’s Fountain,' was destroyed in a fire on May 21. The artist, Thomas Dambo, expressed his heartbreak over the loss of the beloved installation, which was built with community support. Investigators are currently looking into the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined.
- ▪The fire that destroyed the sculpture occurred early in the morning on May 21.
- ▪Thomas Dambo, the artist, shared his emotional response on Instagram, thanking the community for their support.
- ▪The sculpture was made from reclaimed wood and cedar roots, and was a significant part of the local community.
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| Canonical URL | https://nypost.com/2026/05/31/us-news/texas-giant-troll-burns-down-in-pease-park-fire-as-heartbroken-artist-thomas-dambo-speaks-out/ |
| Publication time | Sun, 31 May 2026 01:45:57 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-31T05:59:24.024Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-31T07:01:29.315Z |
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US News Iconic Texas giant troll burns down in mysterious fire as heartbroken artist speaks out By Adam Silverstein Published May 31, 2026, 1:45 a.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google An iconic giant troll sculpture in Texas was destroyed in a devastating fire last week, leaving the artist behind the towering wooden attraction heartbroken. Danish artist Thomas Dambo shared an emotional message Wednesday following the loss of “Malin’s Fountain,” the 18-foot-tall wooden troll that stood in Austin’s Pease Park before it burned to the ground in an early-morning blaze on May 21. “It took me a few days to process this,” Dambo wrote on Instagram. “I’ve received so many messages, photos, and videos since Thursday.
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