The Goats that Saved the Ronald Reagan Library by Colin Kowalski
In May, a herd of 500 goats was hired to save the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library from California wildfires. This might sound crazy, but it's true. These goats were tasked with clearing flammable shrubs around the library in order to protect it. So, when the Easy Fire approached the library, the goats were called. According to Melissa Giller, a library spokeswoman, "We were told by one of the firefighters that they believe that [a brake in the fire caused by the goats] made their job possible." The goats ate all of the brush, slowing down the advancement of the fire and giving the firefighters the time they needed to save the library. These goats, so with comedic names such as Vincent van Goat, Selena Goatmez, and Goatzart, were crucial in saving monumental exhibits such as a decommissioned Air Force One jet and a piece of the Berlin Wall.
While this may just seem like a comedic news story, the use of goats to slow or even stop forest fires is now being seriously examined and implemented throughout California. The owner of the company who raised the goats, Scott Morris, stated how he has needed to double his population of goats to meet this new demand. According to Morris, these goats are voracious eaters and are trained to clear acres of land of the naturally-growing brush by eating it all. The goats hired to clear the Reagan Library - totaling 805 in all - cleared 13 acres of land surrounding the library in just a few hours to aid the firefighters. According to the firefighters who saved the Reagan Library, the goats were "a huge help because they eliminated the scenario in which the fire spreads faster due to the shrubs and other Carbon-based substances that easily burn." After they had cleared the brush, the goats were then evacuated by the firefighters and all 805 returned safely to their ranch.
This new tactic to fight wildfires has already been implemented and proven successful when a week ago, the Getty Museum was saved by brush-clearing goats. This museum, under threat from the Getty fire, which was saved by a team of 60 goats who had been working around the clock to remove brush from the 110-acre campus over the course of 2 weeks. They finished just in time, as when they did, the Getty fire encroached upon the museum. However, the fire had relatively little fuel to spread onto or near the campus, with the entire area cleared of brush, and the firefighters were able to defeat the fire thanks in no small part to the goats.
With these recent successes, many businesses, homes, museums, complexes, and other places will soon start to turn to the heroic, fire-fighting goats who have helped to protect some of southern California's most well-known museums successfully.
This picture shows a goat being evacuated off of the scene of the Reagan Library after clearing the brush there.
This picture shows a group of goats removing the highly flammable brush from around the Reagan Library.
While this may just seem like a comedic news story, the use of goats to slow or even stop forest fires is now being seriously examined and implemented throughout California. The owner of the company who raised the goats, Scott Morris, stated how he has needed to double his population of goats to meet this new demand. According to Morris, these goats are voracious eaters and are trained to clear acres of land of the naturally-growing brush by eating it all. The goats hired to clear the Reagan Library - totaling 805 in all - cleared 13 acres of land surrounding the library in just a few hours to aid the firefighters. According to the firefighters who saved the Reagan Library, the goats were "a huge help because they eliminated the scenario in which the fire spreads faster due to the shrubs and other Carbon-based substances that easily burn." After they had cleared the brush, the goats were then evacuated by the firefighters and all 805 returned safely to their ranch.
This new tactic to fight wildfires has already been implemented and proven successful when a week ago, the Getty Museum was saved by brush-clearing goats. This museum, under threat from the Getty fire, which was saved by a team of 60 goats who had been working around the clock to remove brush from the 110-acre campus over the course of 2 weeks. They finished just in time, as when they did, the Getty fire encroached upon the museum. However, the fire had relatively little fuel to spread onto or near the campus, with the entire area cleared of brush, and the firefighters were able to defeat the fire thanks in no small part to the goats.
With these recent successes, many businesses, homes, museums, complexes, and other places will soon start to turn to the heroic, fire-fighting goats who have helped to protect some of southern California's most well-known museums successfully.
This picture shows a goat being evacuated off of the scene of the Reagan Library after clearing the brush there.
This picture shows a group of goats removing the highly flammable brush from around the Reagan Library.
How interesting!
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