Goats to clear fire breaks for Kern County Fire Department
| Tuesday, Mar 30 2010 05:04 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Mar 30 2010 05:04 PM
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These boar goats are going to be used by the Kern County Fire Department to eat their way through the grasses in different areas of the county for fuel breaks. They currently have eight goats, but several are pregnant and may be delivering any time now.
Shelly Davis, left, and Kern County Fire Department Deputy Chief, Heidi Dinkler, escort a boar goat onto the field of tall grass where currently 8 goats are housed and will soon be used for fuel reduction, (eating grasses) in certain areas of the county.
One of eight goats to be used for fuel breaks munches on some grass, in a field in the Rosedale area where they are being kept until fire season.
Kern County Fire Department Deputy Chief, Heidi Dinkler, carries one of several goats into their holding pen, Tuesday afternoon, in a field where fire station #65 will be built soon. The goats are going to be used as "the oldest concept for clearing fire hazards known to man," according to Dinkler. The goats will be working on (eating grasses) near existing fire breaks for Kern County.
The new recruits at the Kern County Fire Department don't talk or wear uniforms and spend most of the day eating.
On the plus side, they're willing to work for free.
The fire department will be using eight goats to clear firebreaks of tall grasses and brush, leaving more time for firefighters to take care of other duties. The goats, several of which are pregnant, arrived Tuesday and were fenced in a quarter-acre parcel of land the department owns on Meacham Road, just west of Calloway Drive.
This is the first time the department has used goats in its history, Deputy Chief Heidi Dinkler said. If this experiment is successful, she's hoping to increase the number of goats to the point where they can have goats working on several firebreaks at once.
"We'll section off a couple-acre parcel and just let them go to work," Dinkler said.
They were wasting no time in making short work of the grass on the department grounds. The brown-and-white goats moved together as a group, constantly munching and trimming.
Dinkler said they'll eat anything, even brown grass when the weather gets warmer. In addition to getting rid of brush, the goats will richen the soil by trampling and defecating on it.
The goats will eventually be named, and some are already starting to show some personality, Dinkler said. She identified one of the larger goats, all of whom are female, as the ringleader.
"They're mischievous," Dinkler said with a smile.
When they're put to work on the firebreaks, they'll have some company. Dinkler said the department is looking into getting a large animal like a llama or donkey to help keep predators away.
Fire Department spokesman Sean Collins said it's a "win-win situation" because the fire department saves manpower and the firebreaks get cleared without the use of chainsaws or other equipment that use gasoline and result in pollutants.
When fully grown, the goats will be able to reach as high as six feet when standing on their hind legs, Collins said. Clearing brush at that height will reduce the risk of fire easily jumping to trees and making it more difficult to fight.
Dinkler said not everyone was immediately receptive to the idea, but now that the goats are here she's never seen so many volunteers for a single project.
