South fork dairy dimmitt tx

The explosion, which caused a massive fire and smoke plume, took responders hours to bring it under control.

We think you are in , which has its distinct version of the website. The animals were trapped inside the burning factory and only a few survived. South Fork Dairy Farm, one of the largest dairy farms in the country, is located in Dimmitt, Texas, 75 miles northwest of Lubbock. To date, the fire that took place on April 10th is the largest mass death of cows in a single fire across the United States in at least two decades. The magnitude of the Dimmitt fire was record-breaking due to the vast number of animals housed in the building, which was equivalent to the capacity of 26 football fields. Fires are all too common on factory farms , where large numbers of animals are confined in close proximity. This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history… The investigation and cleanup may take some time.

South fork dairy dimmitt tx

An explosion and fire at a dairy farm on Monday in the Texas panhandle has been called the deadliest cattle barn fire ever recorded: it left one worker in critical condition and killed 18, cows. The cause of the fire, which occurred at South Fork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt, 75 miles northwest of Lubbock, is still under investigation by the state fire marshal. Fires on large-scale animal farms, or factory farms, are surprisingly common. Over the last decade, at least 6. Disease outbreaks , too, result in mass death or culling on farms. The Dimmitt fire, however, was unusual in its scale. Because the farm was enormous — with reportedly 19, cattle, it was among the biggest dairy farms in the country — it killed an order of magnitude more cows than are typically killed in fires, enough to fill 26 football fields, according to a USA Today analysis. For context, the largest number of cows killed in a single fire between and in the US was High death tolls could be more likely in the future as mega-factory farms proliferate, packing ever more animals into cramped warehouse-sized sheds. From to , the number of US farms with 1, or more dairy cows has more than tripled , even as the total number of dairy cows has remained about the same. Barn fires are typically caused by malfunctioning heating or electrical systems, according to the NFPA, and are more common in colder states in the Midwest and Northeast. Fires at large, industrial-scale facilities are particularly concerning because they can wipe out so many animals at once. Chicken factory farms can house hundreds of thousands or even millions of animals each year, so a single fire at one of these facilities can account for the majority of barn fire deaths in a year. Chickens account for about 92 percent of the 6.

Though callers feared that multiple employees were trapped, only one woman needed rescuing. Meat, dairy, and egg producers themselves could implement relatively straightforward reforms to prevent fires, according to Granger: conduct proactive fire safety inspections alongside fire officials and experts, south fork dairy dimmitt tx, ensure equipment is routinely checked and maintained, and institute worker training and emergency planning. Castro County Sheriff Salvador Rivera was on a routine night patrol, driving north through the county, when he glanced into the rearview mirror.

CASTRO COUNTY, Texas — The aroma of cow manure rode the spring breeze, as it always does in this stretch of Texas panhandle, where the wind lifts an endless fog of microscopic particles that infuse every mile with an earthy scent, the smell of business. As dusk descended on the South Fork Dairy on April 10, workers busied themselves with the evening shift. Some refilled hay bins. Others checked on pregnant cows or hosed down equipment. Extracting 24 semi-truck loads of milk from 17, cows daily requires a round-the-clock operation, but the crew would not be hindered by the gathering dusk.

CASTRO COUNTY, Texas — The aroma of cow manure rode the spring breeze, as it always does in this stretch of Texas panhandle, where the wind lifts an endless fog of microscopic particles that infuse every mile with an earthy scent, the smell of business. As dusk descended on the South Fork Dairy on April 10, workers busied themselves with the evening shift. Some refilled hay bins. Others checked on pregnant cows or hosed down equipment. Extracting 24 semi-truck loads of milk from 17, cows daily requires a round-the-clock operation, but the crew would not be hindered by the gathering dusk. The vast barn stood at 2 million square feet, larger than two Amazon fulfillment centers end over end, a footprint almost twice the size of the Pentagon. Cattle pens were aligned in rows and bisected by arrow-straight alleyways, like city blocks whose gutters collected not rain but an endless stream of cow manure. Electronically controlled fans on the east end sucked air across the barn, keeping it cross-ventilated.

South fork dairy dimmitt tx

The fire that killed 18, dairy cows in a West Texas farm has been extinguished and the staggering death count revealed. Typically, dead farm animals — even scores of them, such as those killed in the wake of hurricanes or blizzards — can be buried, hauled to landfills or even composted, said Saqib Mukhtar, an associate dean at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and a cattle disposal expert. But the sheer number of carcasses in this incident makes the task monumental, he said.

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The scene was staggering: Mounds of dead, blackened cows littered the farm. AP An explosion and fire at a dairy farm on Monday in the Texas panhandle has been called the deadliest cattle barn fire ever recorded: it left one worker in critical condition and killed 18, cows. After inquiring about the employees, Linzer felt stunned by the sheer scope of the disaster, he said. Department of Agriculture. On the day the fire started, South Fork Dairy was collecting its cow manure to be stored in an outdoor lagoon. Sod Poodles Baseball. Community Interviews. How dangerous is New York City, anyway? The readings had stopped working. Castro County, Texas , US. But it was also a foray into cutting-edge technology, including a biogas system that was on the books for the farm but had not yet been installed. One of the workers called the woman on her cellphone. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U. Skip to content. This is how it happened.

An explosion and fire at a dairy farm on Monday in the Texas panhandle has been called the deadliest cattle barn fire ever recorded: it left one worker in critical condition and killed 18, cows.

Join our Love Veg movement and invite your friends too! About Us. Consider replacing meat, dairy, eggs, or other animal products with plant-based ones. The firefighters pulled on their bunker gear and rushed into the smoking building. Check your inbox for a welcome email. Such a loss would derail most smaller dairies, he said. Investigators from the Texas Fire Marshal's Office determined in May that the incident was accidental and that it began with an engine fire in farm equipment being used to clean the barn, specifically a 'manure vacuum truck'. This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history and the investigation and cleanup may take some time. Barn fires are typically caused by malfunctioning heating or electrical systems, according to the NFPA, and are more common in colder states in the Midwest and Northeast. But detractors, including some in Congress, worry that public subsidies for this energy source have become an incentive for farms to grow ever larger: a feedback loop that means more cows, more manure and more risk, in any one spot. According to the charitable body, the South Fork Dairy fire is the deadliest since records began. Attached to the barn was the milking parlor. By Marin Cogan. Missing 8-year-old found dead in home. First Alert.