Massive Fire , Kills 18,000 Cattle , at Dairy Farm in Texas.br 'The New York Times' reports br that a large explosion and fire on April 10 br resulted in the death of 18,000 cattle in Texas.br Sid Miller, the Texas agricultural commissioner, said, “This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history.”.br Miller reportedly added, “The investigation and cleanup , may take some time.”.br According to data from the Animal Welfare Institute, br the incident was one of the largest mass br cattle deaths in the U.S. in at least two decades.br 'NYT' reports that over six million animals have br been killed in barn fires since the Animal br Welfare Institute was founded in 2013.br According to the organization, br these fires are often caused br by electrical malfunctions.br In 2016, a blizzard killed over br 35,000 dairy cows in Texas. .br In 2017, California cattle farmers lost br herds in devastating wildfires.br According to officials, the April 10 explosion br and fire at the South Fork Dairy Farm in br Dimmitt remains under investigation.