…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
A methane explosion at a dairy farm in Texas has killed 18,000 cattle and critically injured a worker.
The South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt experienced the worst barn fire that the Animal Welfare Institute has seen involving cattle since it began tracking barn fires in 2013.
The explosion was likely triggered by machinery overheating, causing methane to ignite.
The exact reason, however, has not been confirmed.
A female worker became trapped inside the milking building during the blaze and had to be rescued by firefighters.
As of Wednesday, she remains in the hospital.
Local residents expressed concern about the possible after-effects of the explosion on the local economy.
The cows that perished were valued at around $2,000 each, meaning the total cost of the cattle destroyed was $36 million.
Some surviving cows will be housed in another facility owned by the Brand family.
The animals killed were a mix of Jersey and Holstein cows. They were being held in a facility that was only built less than three years ago.
The cost of the structural damage caused by the fire has not been assessed yet.
The surviving cows will be housed in another facility owned by the Brand family.
There was a total of 19,000 cows being held in the farm.
There are 15 dairies in Castro County, South Fork is the newest one, being built less than three years ago.
Dramatic images from the scene showed a column of black smoke rising from the farm, as well as the devastation left on the ground.
Charred bodies of cows remain and are being dealt with by environmental officers along with the burnt-out barn. Despite the uncertainty, the community in Dimmitt has already begun to rally around Frank Brand and his family.
The cause of the explosion highlights the issue of fire safety in barns.
The Animal Welfare Institute stated that close to 6.5 million cows have been killed in barn fires since 2013.
The agency urged farms to adopt commonsense fire safety measures.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Amarillo Region arrived at the scene on Tuesday morning to help the dairy’s owner with the disposal of the carcasses.
The previous record holder for the deadliest barn fire occurred in upstate New York in 2020 when 400 cows perished.
Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media