Goats are back on the job in Solvang.

As fire season approaches, the city has returned its vegetation-clearing herd to Hans Christian Andersen Park, where the animals are grazing through dry grass and brush to cut wildfire fuel buildup, according to Edhat.

Solvang first introduced goats for vegetation management in 2019. Since then, the seasonal grazing program has become a practical wildfire prevention tool and a familiar local attraction.

The city is tackling a problem facing many communities across the West, the buildup of dry grass, weeds and brush that can fuel fast-moving fires in hot, windy conditions. Managing that vegetation is especially important around parks, trails, roadsides and neighbourhoods where fires can spread quickly.

Instead of relying entirely on heavy machinery or chemical herbicides, Solvang uses goats to clear excess vegetation naturally. The animals can reduce overgrowth while avoiding some of the trade-offs linked to conventional brush removal, including carbon pollution, soil disturbance, noise and chemical exposure.

Goats can also reach places that are hard for machines to access, including steep hillsides and uneven terrain. They feed on taller brush and shrubs too, sometimes reaching vegetation up to about 1.8 metres high.

Solvang is not alone in using grazing animals for fire prevention. Nearby Santa Barbara has used sheep and goats in parks since 2015. Earlier this year, the city used sheep across roughly 6.5 hectares in four parks to reduce vegetation and help maintain emergency access routes for firefighters.

Elsewhere in California, agencies including Caltrans have also used goats for vegetation management projects, including efforts dating back to 2000 along Highway 101 in Sonoma County.

In a social media post, Solvang described the animals as its “hungry friends” and asked park visitors not to feed them or touch the electric fence, saying the herd already has plenty of “food/work ahead of them.”

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