While one person was rescued from a Texas dairy farm explosion Monday, more than 18,000 cows died in the tragic fire.
According to the Animal Welfare Institute, it was the “deadliest barn fire involving cattle since at least 2013, when AWI first began tracking these incidents.”
Crews from the Castro County Sheriff’s Office and the Dimmitt, Hart and Nazareth Fire Departments responded to the explosion at South Fork Dairy Farms, approximately 11 miles southeast of Dimmitt, Monday night, the Texas Tribune reported. Emergency crews from other departments also responded and were at the scene until after 11 p.m.
“Upon arrival it was determined that one person was trapped inside and fire crews were able to locate the person and remove them from the building,” said the Castro County Sheriff’s Office. “The person was flown to the UMC Hospital in Lubbock. All employees were accounted for.”
As of Thursday, the farm worker was in critical condition and more than 18,000 cows had died, said the Texas Tribune.
“Please keep the Frank Brand family and the employees of their South Fork Dairy in your thoughts and prayers,” said a Facebook post from the Texas Association of Dairymen. “The dairy, near Dimmitt, suffered a horrific fire Monday night. The cause is still under investigation.”
Overall, there are around 625,000 dairy cows in Texas. Castro County is the second-highest milk producing county in the state with just under 60,000 cows, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report cited by the Texas Tribune.
Texas authorized the South Fork Dairy facility to more than double the number of cattle allowed on-site from 11,500 to up to 32,000, according to a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality permit cited by the Texas Tribune.
“Barn fires cause immense suffering, killing hundreds of thousands of farm animals every year,” according to the Animal Welfare Institute. “Some farm animals die almost immediately as fires burn through the barns, while others have to be euthanized later due to severe burns and smoke inhalation.”
Research released by the institute in 2022 found that more than 6 million animals died in barn fires since 2013, including more than 25,000 cows.
“Farms must do more to protect animals by adopting commonsense fire safety measures,” said the AWI.
Findings from the group’s report on barn fires suggest malfunctioning heating devices and other electrical equipment could be one of the major causes of these tragedies.
“This significant percentage suggests that this equipment should be frequently checked, repaired, and replaced,” it said.
On Thursday, all county roads leading to the South Fork Dairy Farms were closed for the public’s health and safety, said the Castro County Sheriff’s Office.
“In a statement, [Texas Commission on Environmental Quality] spokesperson Victoria Cann said that the agency will ensure that dead livestock and debris are disposed of properly. She said the agency is not aware of any environmental impacts from the explosion,” said the Tribune.
Per the outlet, the Texas fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the blaze.
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