Texas Barn Fire Kills 18,000 Dairy Cattle

A Texas dairy farm suffered an explosion and fire that possibly resulted in the largest single-incident livestock death toll in history.

Agriculture Dot Com says the Southfork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt, Texas, reports approximately 18,000 dairy cattle died in the blaze. The Castro County Sheriff’s Office said that was about 90 percent of the farm’s total herd. Investigators are working to find out the cause of the devastating fire.

“They’re trying to determine if it came from machinery known as a honey wagon that sucks out manure and water,” says Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera. “It may have possibly ignited methane gas.”

The farm employs 60 workers, and all were accounted for. One female was trapped inside, and first responders were able to rescue her from the structure and airlifted her to a nearby hospital, where she’s critical but stable.

Southfork Dairy Farm had been running for less than a year.

(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)