Goats Join the Firefighting Effort in San Diego County

A local San Diego County company named Good Shepherds is using goats to graze the land in East County San Diego.

“We hope this spreads faster than wildfires,” Good Shepherds Co-Founder Matthew Sablove said.

The company which was founded approximately two years ago aims to use the unique grazing method to maintain areas that pose a wildfire threat throughout the county.

According to Good Shepherds, the goats clear dry brush more efficiently than other known human and mechanical methods.

Approximately 125 goats are used and they’ve begun making an impact in El Cajon.

“They are clearing a fire field that has accumulated for over 40 or almost 60 years,” Sablove said.

According to Good Shepherds, this approach is an eco-friendly way of maintaining the land.

“It just takes one little event to set off this to cause a really severe fire and once that starts it’s hard to manage,” Sablove said.

Good Shepherds welcomes public or private land managers to partner with them and they plan on expanding their reach in San Diego County.