Goats may help prevent wildfires in California as drought worsens

07-01-2022 • arclein

Prior to fire seasons in the past, land managers traditionally relied on herbicide and human labor to thin plants and brush to reduce fuel load, the amount of flammable material that can burn in a fire. But access to mountain terrain in southern California can be challenging, and such traditional clearing practices can leave behind seeds that germinate the next year. (Read how the western U.S. drought could last until 2030.) That's why more people in California are turning to a four-legged solution: Goats. Deploying goats to clear land of vegetation is an age-old practice, but as wildfires worsen worldwide, places as diverse as Greece, Australia, and other parts of the U.S., such as Arizona and Colorado are embracing the herbivores as important tools for wildfire prevention.