The troll statue in Peace Park, named Malin, burned to the ground early Thursday morning, according to the Austin Fire Department.
Austin Fire got a call reporting flames at the park just before 5:30 a.m., the department said. Fire crews arrived at the park a little over five minutes later, but were unable to access the fire from the caller's location on Lamar. After relocating, the crew was able to extinguish the blaze, but the statue did not survive.
The fire department's investigation into the incident is ongoing.
What was the Peace Park troll?
Before the fire, Malin had become one of Pease Park’s most recognizable public art pieces. The 18-foot troll, unveiled in March 2024, was created by Thomas Dambo, whose oversized troll sculptures have appeared in parks and public spaces around the world.
The Austin sculpture was Dambo’s first troll in Texas. Like much of his work, Malin was built from reused materials, including local recycled wood, old pallets and parts from a decommissioned water tower from the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin.
The Pease Park sculpture was designed around a water theme, with Malin holding a basin meant to evoke Austin’s relationship with wildlife, drought and shared natural resources.