Goats used on Front Range to fight wildfires before they start

3 June 2024, 21:32 published

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A goat herd provides more peace of mind to residents in a Louisville neighborhood who were forced to evacuate during the 2021 Marshall Fire.

LOUISVILLE, Colo. — Hungry goats are providing peace of mind to residents in a Louisville neighborhood who were forced to evacuate during the 2021 Marshall Fire.

In December 2021, residents saw how quickly a grass fire turned into a suburban firestorm destroying homes, businesses and lives when the flames swept through Louisville and Superior. Since then, the City of Louisville has emphasized fighting wildfires before they start. That’s where the goats come in.

“These goats are removing this vegetation and recycling it, and that later in the season as fields dry out, it’s protecting these homes and creating a fire break, so it disrupts the continuity of the fields,” said Donny Benz, owner of Goat Green, LLC. “This is a proactive approach to manage these fields before they become a fire hazard later in the season.”

Benz’s herd of 700 spent the past week in Louisville, grazing on plants that don’t normally grow in Colorado. These non-native plants are known to not hold moisture well, dry out quickly and fuel fires, Benz said. They typically grow in the springtime, ahead of native plants. After their growing season comes grazing season for the goats.

“That’s the value of using goats and the utility of them as a tool,” Benz said. “They consume those non-native species and the undesirable plants, as well. So they’re browsers, they prefer the brush, trees, pokey and poisonous plants.”

Benz said wildfire mitigation happens year-round and can be a difficult task for humans and large equipment.

“As these goats are working, they’re doing about 15 different steps at one time, so it’s not a direct comparison to mowing,” Benz said. “They can also access steep terrain, rocky terrain, and some of the dense vegetation with the brush and the trees that mowers can’t access.”

Benz said Goat Green has a three-year contract with the City of Louisville, and they just wrapped up the first year. A spokesperson for the city said its too early to know the impact the program will have but said they’re optimistic about the future.

Residents said that thanks to the goats, they feel safer and protected at home.