The utility company will clear 15 acres of brush from surrounding powerlines.
Natalie Willis, Reporter, Valley Ag Voice
Over 400 goats from Chasin Goat Grazing took to the hills of Sierra Nevada to mitigate vegetation near SoCal Edison powerlines. The goats will work through roughly 15 acres this month, grazing green and dry vegetation to minimize wildfire threats.
This year marks the third season the power company has utilized goats in its Wildfire Mitigation Plan as they are able to navigate the rough terrain and leave a minimal impact on the environment.
“As you can see, the goats are made for this,” Sarah Hendrix, senior utility arborist at SoCal Edison said.
According to an article by SoCal Edison, goats are uniquely suited to clear brush efficiently while single-handedly reducing vegetation density in future years. A team of herders and guard dogs will remain on site with the goats as they work to reduce wildfire risks.
“They wake up in the morning about sunlight daybreak. They get up, eat till about 10 or 11, then take a nap maybe an hour or two, then they eat a little more, then take another nap,” Chase Cianfichi with Chasin Goat Grazing told Your Central Valley.
Goat grazing allows SoCal Edison to target specific plant species and minimize ground disturbance for a cost-effective approach to brush mitigation, according to the 2023-2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan released in March. The project plans to expand to future service areas in the coming years.
The updated mitigation plan was preceded by a lawsuit issued against SoCal Edison in Feb. by the city of Hemet for involvement in the Fairview Fire last year. The city claimed the utility company failed to trim the surrounding brush around its electrical power lines properly.
According to a letter from SoCal Edison’s Claims Investigations Senior Advisor Bernice Cordero, the investigation revealed two areas of interest in the Fairview Fire, one of which was located near an SCE pole line. Cordero explained that the power line exhibited signs of damage.
“It is not known when this condition occurred or if these materials were impacted by the circuit activity that occurred on September 5, 2022, or whether they contributed to the ignition of the Fairview Fire,” Cordero wrote. “While the damage to SCE facilities has not yet been tabulated, SCE identified 26 poles that required replacement.”
In 2022, SoCal Edison issued documentation for connection to four wildfire incidents.
