Fighting Fire With…. Goats? | Natural Disaster Prevention

You're probably already familiar with using controlled burning to keep dry brush at bay and prevent wild fires.  But what about goats?

Natural Disaster Prevention: Goats vs Fires

In a natural system, herbivores like deer, elk, and bison would eat away much of the brush.  And their decomposing droppings (natural compost) would help the soil retain more moisture, so the remaining plants would not dry out as much.  Since herbivore populations are much lower than they were before the settling of the West, people have taken to using domesticated grazing animals like goats to eat back the dry brush.

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The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory said it rented the goats to reduce the risk of forest fires, which has risen due to the statewide drought.

“We utilize goats at the lab in order to keep our grasses short and reduce fire hazards,” said a statement on the Berkeley Lab's Facebook page.

Have you added grazing animals to your preps, either for brush management or food?  Let us know in the comments.

The title surely got your attention and your curiosity. How can you possibly connect goats and firefighting? It's quite simple really. Firefighting in this context refers to forest fires. Goats eat dry grass and dry grass is flammable. If there is no dry grass in the forests, fires will be lessened.

A forest fire is a natural disaster that usually occurs in the dry season. A lightning strike, a cigarette butt or a burning ember irresponsibly left in the woods can cause major damage to the environment and to property. Dry grass contributes in the spread of the fire, therefore it is a good idea to stop the chain by getting rid of these flammable natural materials. What better way to do so than using herbivores? A natural solution for natural disaster prevention.

Want to know more? Check out these related articles:

Wildfire Survival Tips: How to Survive Natural Disasters

Surviving Natural Disasters: Safe Points in the Household

Natural Disaster: Surviving Mother Nature’s Fury