An explosion and fire this past Monday night at Southfork Dairy Farm southeast of Dimmitt, Texas, resulted in what may be the biggest single-incident livestock death toll in history.
The Castro County Sheriff's office reports upwards of 18,000 head of dairy cattle perished in the blaze. That was about 90% of the farm's total herd, according to reports.
At a press conference, Sheriff Sal Rivera said witnesses reported an explosion that spread into a massive fire all throughout the building where the cattle are held.
Investigators are working to pinpoint the cause. "They're trying to determine if it's machinery called a honey wagon that sucks out the manure and water," Rivera said. "It may have possibly ignited methane gas."
The farm employs around 60 people, and all employees were accounted for. When rescuers arrived on the scene, one female employee was trapped inside. They were able to remove her from the building and she was air-lifted to a hospital where she is reportedly in critical but stable condition.
"While the loss of so many animals and property is devastating, I am so thankful that there was no loss of human life," said Castro County Judge Mandy Gfeller.
Southfork Dairy Farm has been in operation less than a year. It is located in the High Plains of the Texas panhandle, southwest of Amarillo.
Texas is the third top milk-producing state in the U.S., following California and Wisconsin, and Castro County is ranked fourth in the state, according to USDA.
EDITOR’S TAKE:
Thank goodness no humans perished! That said, losing 90% of the entire herd, especially in a new operation, is devastating. Rest assured there will be a lot of clean up with an incident of this size. This horrific incident obviously attracts attention due to the overall size of the loss. However, whether it is 18,000 cows or 18 cows, a tragedy within the industry has widespread impact both emotionally and financially for virtually all farmers and ranchers in that community, as well as across the nation. This type of incident could happen anywhere. It is encouraging to know that farmers/ranchers support each other in time of need. And, of course, they always appreciate knowing others support them as well.
As a CAD member, someone who values the relationship to agriculture, this type of incident is an opportunity for you to connect and offer resources and support to farmers/ranchers in their time of need. You can show support by first expressing your sincere concern. It may seem obvious, but it makes a huge statement about who you are and what you stand for. You might also start a community support initiative to help during the recovery/rebuilding phase.
We at CAD sincerely extend our sympathy to the Southfork Dairy in Texas and wish them a speedy and full recovery.
