GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) — After last month’s heavy rainfall, many hillsides are looking green and showing healthy signs of life. However, all that extra brush could be a hazard during wildfire season.
That’s where the goats from California Grazing Company come to the rescue.
“We’re here to reduce the fuel load on pretty steep terrain where it would be really hard to mechanically clear, and the goats are really good at being on hillsides, so they’re out here getting rid of the flashy fuels,” said Michael Klain, the co-founder of the family business. “They clear about 2-3 acres a day, it’s 12.5 acres, so we should be here for a couple of days, and hopefully clear through it pretty quickly. We’ll be done before the weather comes, so we got really fortunate to where we have this little pocket of sunshine.”
The group says 200 female goats will be grazing the dry brush on the hillsides of Verdugo Park. They’re expected to clear up 20 acres by this weekend.
“We’re basically just trying to get ahead of the fire season and reduce the risk before it becomes an emergency. This area is very critical, because we have a lot of light and flashy fuels… and this stuff burns really fast,” said Patty Mundo, who serves as the Vegetation Management Lead for the Glendale Fire Department.
RELATED: Overnight rain creates hazardous road conditions, triggers water rescues across SoCal
The recent overnight rain showers have also caused some problems. In Sherman Oaks, a large tree came down on power poles, leaving 400 people without power.
While we have a break from the rain for the next few days, it won’t be long before the next round of rain in the coming week.
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