Santa Barbara Fire Casualties

On May 12th, The Santa Barbara Daily Sound reported ironic casualties of the Jesusita Fire that ravaged Santa Barbara last week... 30 goats... 30 brush-eating goats.

"The goats were part of a herd of 175, the majority of which were safely trucked out of the canyon last Tuesday, shortly after the blaze erupted," reported staff writer Colby Frazier.

The brush-eating goats were owned by Brush Goats 4 Hire. They were often rented out to provide eco-friendly help those in need of brush thinning, fuel load reduction, and weed abatement.

It's an idea that's catching on. The same week the fire broke out in Santa Barbara, Google hired a herd of 200 goats to eat the four-foot-tall brush that had grown up around the company's sprawling campus (which is frequently called the "Googleplex"). The brush was deemed a fire hazard, and with fierce wildfires raging in other parts of the state, the company decided to bring in lawn mowers that needed no gasoline.

Within a few days, the goats had reduced the brush to stubble.

Article: Washington Post, May 11th.