Stranger things have happened. Not to cows, of course, but of the solar-flare earth interactions. The aurora displays are certainly the most visible manifestation of the flares, but are not by any means the only things they set into motion here on earth.

Highly charged particles that interact with the ionosphere and excite its particulates with a charge will then influence the mesophere beneath it and right on down through to the surface where it can manifest as high winds, heat or both. All this energy is discharged in one way or another as the ionosphere seeks balance. One way of looking at it is somewhat like a lightning strike that discharges into the ground. The sum of ALL that electricity is transferred completely into other forms. The energy required to carbonized elements where it strikes and whatever else could conduct and carry that energy away into other forms must occur.

One must remember the conservation of energy principle applies to all these energy motions. In this instance, the amount of energy the sun is passing earth's way is enormous and will have to be converted in one way or another. No one needs to worship the sun or plot their lives around solar cycles - but at the same time it's naive to discount that it exerts some influence on the course of human events.

Did the solar flares start the CA fires? Obviously not directly. But did its presence help set the conditions for such a fast moving conflagration to occur once the other "flare" was launched? I'd say there's little doubt. No mysticism or aliens are required for this assumption.

SDAI-Tech1

PS
You never told me you were a farmer Ed...or that you had a cow!

(Sorry Ed, couldn't resist that last one...;-)