CO: GOATS HELPS FIREFIGHTERS FIGHT WILDFIRE
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (KCNC) — As firefighters worked to contain the Rock Creek Fire west of Cheyenne Mountain State Park, they received some unexpected assistance from a local goat named Goldie.
Shane Coyne, superintendent of the Southern Colorado Interagency Wildland Team, said crews were preparing for a steep and challenging hike into the burn area when the goat appeared.
“We’re trying to get our gear on, we know it’s going to be steep, and we know it’s going to be a little bit dicey walking out of there, and she sits in front of me about 10 feet, and she just keeps looking back,” Coyne said. “She starts making these noises, and the guy behind me goes, ‘I think she wants us to follow her.'”
Coyne said Goldie did more than simply tag along. As firefighters made their way toward the fire, the goat appeared to help guide them along safer terrain.
“The route that was flagged by a few feet here and there, and I started watching her, and she was actually trying to take us down an area that wasn’t maybe quite as rocky, wasn’t quite as slippery, maybe had better footing,” Coyne said. “She was obviously a pro at her job.”
Once crews arrived, Goldie continued to contribute by grazing on brush near the burn scar while firefighters worked the fire line. The curious goat remained close to the crew and was even seen chasing after a fire truck.
“A little goat! Who would have known,” Coyne joked.
Goldie’s owner, who lives near the fire area, said the goat is familiar with the terrain and wasn’t surprised when she followed firefighting crews into the field.
“They were staging at our place, actually, and I saw Goldie just take off after the first fire crew went out,” the owner said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, she knows the area. She’ll be fine, and she knows where we live.’ So I was like, ‘Yeah, go have fun and watch over them for us.'”
Goldie appears to have learned a few things from her owner, Castle Rock firefighter Pete Glader, who was also helping battle the Rock Creek Fire.
“Basically, she’s been just walking along, as you can see, helping with some mitigation of vegetation that’s still in the black and we’ve been concerned about lighting up again,” Glader said.
Cellphone video of Goldie working alongside firefighters has turned the goat into an unlikely wildfire celebrity and provided a welcome distraction during an active and challenging fire season.
“I know a lot of folks have lost quite a bit and folks are still fighting, and I’m sure there’s going to be a lot more loss,” Coyne said. “So as many good stories as we can get and bring some levity to it, I think can help with hope and healing.”
Goldie has now inspired a line of merchandise. T-shirts with Goldie’s face on them are for sale online. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Caste Rock Professional Firefighters Foundation.
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