The deaths of 13 racing greyhounds this week was avoidable, largely charged to human error. A fire broke out at a kennel at the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track in Bonita Springs that housed more than 60 of the sleek dogs known and bred for their lightning speed.

A night worker heard the alarm, but went to the wrong kennel, twice. The fire — from an air-conditioner — continued to smolder, filling the kennel with deadly smoke.

Emergency workers and veterinarians have so far worked to save about 55 of the dogs. Heroically, they hauled the fear- stricken animals from the suffocating smoke and treated them with oxygen.

We're left sad and wondering what else could have been done, but we're hampered by an industry that's no stranger to controversy and quick to close ranks when trouble starts.

Certainly, we can draw a couple of easy conclusions:

• The worker who went to the wrong kennel is clearly incompetent, if the story told by track officials is true, and should be fired.

• Second, the kennel areas obviously need smoke detectors in addition to the fire alarms, which sense only heat.

Inspectors say the kennel's last safety inspection was clean with no violations. By all accounts from the sources we've managed to develop within the track, greyhound owners and trainers Gregory and Arlene Wootten are among the best of the 12 kennel owners, and care for their animals.

So if this could happen at the Woottens' kennel, it could happen at any of them, any time.

A SOLUTION

When so many greyhounds are kept in close quarters, as they are throughout the racing industry, any disaster or disease will sicken, injure or kill many, or all of them.

Changing such conditions, as some greyhound protection groups have sought to do, would be seen as too expensive by an industry that year after year is losing live-racing revenue.

The Naples-Fort Myers track's attendance has fallen by 90 percent since it opened in 1957; its "handle," or amount wagered, has dropped by half during the same period.

To make up for the losses, tracks have petitioned the Legislature to allow other forms of betting such as slot machines, poker and off-track wagering. Greyhound protection groups oppose adding more gambling at the tracks because they believe greyhound racing would die from waning interest without the added attractions.

Despite the opposition from the greyhound protection organizations, anti-gambling groups and occasionally the Seminole Tribe of Florida, a competitor for the public's gaming dollars, tracks are winning the fight to get more gambling.

Right now, the Legislature allows only venues that already have live racing to add more popular kinds of gambling.

We say that greyhound protection groups should go on the attack with their own initiative: Ask the Legislature to divorce live racing from other gaming. Let the tracks keep their simulcasts, off-track betting and poker rooms, but stop requiring them to have live racing.

We believe the greyhound racing industry would die a natural death.