We badly need to see the police report on this one – or meet the officer who took it without bursting into laughter. But the Associated Press reported that 90 dairy cows in central Germany released enough methane to trigger an explosion, fire and nearly lift the roof off a barn
Police in Hesse state said that a static electric charge caused the explosion, resulted in minor flames and damages the roof at a farm in Rasdorf on Monday, according to a statement. One cow suffered “light burns.” No humans were injured. Police said it wasn’t clear why so much methane had built up, but cows have always been blamed for releasing large – and potentially dangerous – quantities of the gas through all their belching and farting.
Ruminant flatulence has long gotten a bad rap for contributing to global warming with governments even proposing a bovine fart tax. According to German Livestock website, Germany has 12.9 million head of cattle, including 4.2 million dairy cows, which makes it the largest dairy cattle herd and the second largest cattle population in the European Union. Given those numbers, how is this the first time we’ve heard of a bovine fart fire Germany?
h/t Associated Press, Photo Florida Dairy Farmers
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