Nature’s Firefighters

When the Reagan Presidential Library in California was saved from a wildfire last fall, librarians had an unusual group to thank: 500 voracious goats. 

How did these goats help rescue the library and the valuable historical objects inside? By doing what they do best: eating . . . and eating . . . and eating. 

Last spring, the library brought in these ravenous goats to munch through bushes, grasses, and weeds in the area. Over several days, they ate through an area bigger than 10 football fields. 

Because of the goats’ efforts, when wildfire season arrived in the fall, there were fewer dry and flammable plants. This made it harder for fires to spread, slowing down the flames so firefighters had more time to fight them. 

Wildfires around the country are becoming bigger and harder to fight, mostly because of climate change. Longer, hotter summers lead to drier vegetation, which can easily burst into flames. Strong winds whip flames into firestorms that rip through the combustible plants, threatening lives and costing billions of dollars in damage. 

People are scrambling to slow down these fast-moving fires and protect places where people live. Experts say it’s key to get rid of incendiary materials (mostly dry plants) that help fires spread. That can be done by humans with power tools— but goats are a cheaper and more eco-friendly option. 

Goats are great for this firefighting job. They can climb up steep hills and into deep valleys that bulky machinery can’t access. Standing on their hind legs, they are able to reach tall branches. Their jaws help them grind through tough leaves. And their huge livers can even process some poisonous plants that would make other animals sick. Goats also provide a big environmental benefit: Their poop and pee are fabulous fertilizers for native plants that are less burnable. All this at a fraction of the cost of a human crew! 

In California, it’s an all-out fight against wildfires, and goats are only one of the many tools the state is using. While goats may not be the most high-tech tool in the fight, one thing is for sure: They’re definitely the cutest.