If we are to be serious about avoiding such a tragic loss of life in the future, we must come to terms with how we raise and treat farmed animals.
, such as equipping buildings with fire extinguishers and smoke detectors and instituting fire hazard inspections, were ignored.
In most barn fires, a cause is never conclusively determined. However, in this case state officials have confirmed that the fire at South Fork Dairy was caused byTo reduce the likelihood that a similar disaster will occur in the future, operations can take proactive steps, such as performing routine fire safety inspections, regularly maintaining and inspecting equipment and ensuring that animal confinement areas are adequately separated from hazardous materials and equipment.
However, the lessons learned must go beyond fire safety. This incident speaks to a much larger problem — the conditions under which we raise animals for food in this country. The question many people are asking is, “Is it normal to have such a large number of cows on one operation?” It definitely should not be. Yet, with increased consolidation in agriculture, farms continue to grow bigger and bigger, housing tens or even hundreds of thousands of animals.
Fire prevention and safety are critical. However, if we are to be serious about avoiding such a tragic loss of life in the future, we must come to terms with how we raise and treat farmed animals and the inevitable consequences of industrial food production. Allie Granger is a farm animal program policy associate at the Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, D.C.
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