The City of Lemon Grove got a little extra help clearing wildfire fuel…from goats!
As Southern California gets ready for wildfires, it’s important to clear brush, or fuel, that may burn when a fire starts.
So in the City of Lemon Grove, east of San Diego, Heartland Fire & Rescue has a weed abatement program to help clear the wildfire fuel.
"This provides defensible space for this community which is really important as fire season is approaching," said Sean Gamester, a Heartland Fire & Rescue engineer.
As part of the program, the city often releases a herd of goats in open fields full of vegetation, and the goats eat it up. The goats are contracted and run at a going rate of $675 dollars per acre cleared.
The latest part of the program took place on a hillside off Lawton Drive, near State Route 125.
Most of the goats were busy munching away, but one gloating goat took a few seconds to goof off on the hillside.
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After the short break, the goats were back at it, clearing the space. Heartland firefighters reminded residents to make sure that their homes have defensible space around them as wildfire season approaches.
"So the takeaway from this is, go get a goat," said Sean Gamester, a Heartland Fire & Rescue engineer.
