Send in the goats: Portugal goes low-tech to beat wildfires

By Barry Hatton | iNFOTEL
June 13 2018 05:07 AM

CP518774451 — In this picture taken June 5 2018, a herd of more than 200 goats slowly munches its way through the thick undergrowth covering the hills in Moita da Guerra, in southern Portugal\'s Algarve region. The Portuguese government is hiring dozens of goat herds nationwide as part of its race against the clock to guard the country against a repeat of last year\'s catastrophic wildfires. That includes using goats to try and clean up as much woodland as possible before temperatures rise and the land becomes a tinder box. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)

MOITA DA GUERRA, Portugal – With the hot dry summer fast approaching, Portugal is sending in the goats.

The government is hiring dozens of goat herds nationwide to guard against a repeat of last year’s catastrophic wildfires, which killed 106 people. That includes using goats to clean up the underbrush in as much woodland as possible before temperatures rise and Portugal’s rugged hills become a tinder box.

The goats are an environmentally friendly defence against fires, and have been used for years in the United States, especially California and the Pacific Northwest.

Blazes routinely blacken large areas of forest every year in Portugal, but last year was the deadliest summer fire season on record. That became a wake-up call for authorities, who were slow to react to social trends and a changing climate.

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