A well-known 18-foot giant troll sculpture in Austin's Pease Park was completely destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning, May 21, 2026, according to the Austin Fire Department.
Emergency crews received reports of flames at the park just before 5:30 a. m.
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after a caller spotted the fire from Lamar Boulevard.
Firefighters arrived at North Lamar Boulevard around 5:35 a. m.
but initially faced difficulties accessing the sculpture's specific location near the Kingsbury Commons parking lot.
Officials noted that responders had to relocate to find an entry point to the site near the Shoal Creek Trail.
"We were able to extinguish the fire despite the site's limited access," the Austin Fire Department stated.
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An investigation into the incident is currently underway, though the exact cause of the blaze remains unknown.
About the Sculpture
The 15-foot wide sculpture, officially named "Malin's Fountain," was constructed in March 2024 by Danish artist Thomas Dambo using old wood from a decommissioned water tower at the JJ Pickle Research Campus.
The project was fully funded by the Pease Park Conservancy and assembled with the help of 150 volunteers using recycled, found, and repurposed materials.
The piece represented the only troll installed by Dambo in Texas out of more than 100 similar installations worldwide.
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"The community's strength and ability to come together as one," according to Thomas Dambo's website.
