The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office has ruled the fire and explosion that killed thousands of cows in the Texas Panhandle an accident, according to media reports.
“The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office and I want to reassure everyone that this was not the result of any type of terroristic attack, or any type of event caused to interrupt the milk supply. This was a tragic accident that unfortunately critically injured one person and caused the death of over 17,000 cattle,” the fire marshal’s office said in a statement released to the Castro County Sheriff’s Office.
Castro County Sheriff’s Office and multiple fire departments responded to the incident on April 10 at the Southfork Dairy Farm near Dimmitt. Officials with the Castro County Sheriff’s Office said one person injured in the incident remains in “serious condition” at a Lubbock hospital.
Investigators concluded that the fire originated in the northern end of the dairy as a result of a failure of a piece of equipment. Officials said the explosion was the result of flammable liquids, including liquid fuel, hydraulic oil and other materials, “expanding rapidly,” causing a “smoke explosion.”
The operator could not control the fire with fire extinguishers as the equipment spread extremely flammable liquid, leading to the explosion.
Although the incident was considered an accident, officials and experts will continue to investigate the reason for the equipment failure.
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