<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4JizbZ_0lrN4EQL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4JizbZ_0lrN4EQL00" width="1900" height="1000" ><figcaption>Based on the size of an average adult cow, 18,000 cattle standing 3 to 4 feet apart could cover 26 football fields. USA TODAY illustration </figcaption></figure><p> At least 18,000 cows were killed in an explosion and fire at a west Texas dairy farm Monday evening, possibly the most cattle killed in a single incident ever in the U.S. </p><p> One farmworker at the South Fork Dairy Farm near Dimmitt, Texas, was rescued from a structure and taken to a hospital in Lubbock. The worker&nbsp;was in critical but stable condition Tuesday. No other injuries were reported. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3DXL1Z_0lrN4EQL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3DXL1Z_0lrN4EQL00" width="720" height="960" ><figcaption>The Castro County Sheriff's Office was among several agencies to respond to a fire and explosion at a dairy farm near Dimmitt on Monday. Photo provided by Castro County Emergency Management via Facebook </figcaption></figure><p> The fire in Castro County&nbsp;spread quickly through holding pens where the cows were trapped. Most of them – a mix of Holstein and Jersey cows – were waiting to be milked. </p><p> The 18,000 cows killed were about 90% of the dairy farm's total herd. </p><p><strong> Cow deaths: </strong><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/04/13/18-000-cows-killed-dairy-farm-fire-dimmitt-texas-what-know/11651207002/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 18,000 cows killed in explosion, fire at Texas dairy farm may be largest cattle killing ever </a></p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p></p><iframe height="600" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/tools/static-graphic-embeds/index.html?infogram=%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22infogram-embed%22%20data-id%3D%22_%2FDkNrKZJOEGUmJiJxZiEZ%22%20data-type%3D%22interactive%22%20data-title%3D%22TX-Dimmitt-cows%22%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E" width="100%"></iframe><p> The cows were valued at about $2,000 apiece, said&nbsp;County Judge Mandy Gfeller, the county's top executive. Total financial losses could reach tens of millions of dollars, she said, not including destruction&nbsp;of equipment and buildings. </p><h2 class="presto-h2"> How much ground can 18,000 cows cover? </h2><p> Based on the size of an average adult cow, 18,000 cattle standing 3 to 4 feet apart could cover 26 football fields. </p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p></p><iframe height="600" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/tools/static-graphic-embeds/index.html?infogram=%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22infogram-embed%22%20data-id%3D%22_%2F8CIjBRGP5nWbaJA1hKqn%22%20data-type%3D%22interactive%22%20data-title%3D%2218K%20cows%20killed%20in%20Texas%22%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E" width="100%"></iframe><p></p><iframe height="600" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/tools/static-graphic-embeds/index.html?infogram=%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22infogram-embed%22%20data-id%3D%22_%2F854Vf6Mf3lbuJ2IvKRZ1%22%20data-type%3D%22interactive%22%20data-title%3D%22Cow%20weight%20comparison%22%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E" width="100%"></iframe><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><p> Gfeller said malfunctioning farm equipment may have caused the explosion. Texas fire officials were investigating. </p><p> State and dairy officials were planning how to dispose of the 18,000 carcasses. </p><p></p><iframe height="600" src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/experiments/usatoday/tools/static-graphic-embeds/index.html?infogram=%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22infogram-embed%22%20data-id%3D%22_%2FLO6KCOcfE29BsUk0Unt1%22%20data-type%3D%22interactive%22%20data-title%3D%22cows%3A%20holstein%20vs%20jersey%22%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E" width="100%"></iframe><p><em> Contributing: Rick Jervis </em></p><p><em> This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/04/14/18-000-cows-killed-dairy-farm-fire-texas/11657909002/" rel="nofollow"> 18,000 cows – enough to cover 26 football fields – killed in devastating Texas dairy farm fire </a></em></p><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

The 18,000 dead cows could represent the most cattle killed in a single incident ever in the United States.