'Determined' goat helps guide firefighters to Colorado wildfire
Goats are natural grazers and can effectively reduce dry grass and shrubs that serve as fuel for wildfires.
Goldie the goat accompanied firefighters in El Paso County, Colorado, on July 8.
Firefighters received help from an unlikely guide while battling a wildfire near Colorado Springs: a goat named Goldie.
Colorado Springs firefighters and the Southern Colorado Interagency Wildland Fire Team were working the Rock Creek Fire in El Paso County when they got an unexpected escort.
“A very determined goat who led them toward the fire area and helped with some fuel mitigation along the way,” the Colorado Springs Fire Department wrote.
Video posted by the department Wednesday shows Goldie eating brush and walking in line with firefighters toward smoke from the fire.
The Southern Colorado Interagency Wildland Fire Team said the goat led fire crews in and out of the fire area, helping them find the best route.
“She even made some of those impatient goat noises when we stopped just to make sure we knew that we needed to follow her and keep up,” the team said.
Goldie the Goat with Colorado wildfires on July 8, 2026, near Colorado Springs. (Image credit: Southern Colorado Interagency Wildland Fire Team)
After joining the firefighting effort, Goldie made it back home to her owners, according to the department.
Goats are natural grazers and can effectively reduce dry grass and shrubs that serve as fuel for wildfires, according to CAL Fire.
“Grazing by goats can create fire breaks or fuel breaks, which can impede the spread of wildfires and provide additional protection to vulnerable areas, such as homes and infrastructure,” CAL Fire said.
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