The Rural Fire Service in Central West New South Wales says a trial using goats for hazard reduction has been a huge success as wet conditions complicate conventional reduction efforts.
It comes after two quick-moving fires flared near Gulgong, in the state's west, in the space of 10 days.
Both were accidentally ignited by machinery.
In both instances the ground was too boggy for vehicles to access the fireground and water-bombing aircraft had to be deployed.
The RFS' traditional hazard reduction are now being hindered by saturated soil and standing water.
The goats, however, are able to venture into these more challenging areas and keep the fuel load down to manageable levels.
RFS Cudgegong Inspector Troy Gersback says the goat grazing trial has been expanded to six more locations since it began late last year.
"It's been a godsend for the organisation," he said.
'A lot ill-will' — but goats get results
In the village of Lue the grazing is reducing grass and weeds substantially.
"It's also creating a green barrier in the middle of the village from where RFS can mount a defence in the event of a fire, like back-burning and protecting assets," Mr Gersback said.
Goat producer Michael Blewitt, who has supplied the RFS with 80 of his goats, says grazing is a more versatile method of reduction.
If the burn needs to be done on a main road, for example, the road would have had to be closed.
"If the area that needs hazard reduction is directly opposite things like schools, it's difficult to do a burn," Mr Blewitt said.
But this is not the case with the goats.
He said there had been some concerns about goats damaging the vegetation farmers had been fostering, but the goats simply need to be moved away from those areas.
The animals are moved around a patch within transportable wire enclosures, so there is control over where they graze.
Mr Blewitt said most people in the community felt a greater sense of security from the trial when they saw the fuel loads come down, but there were some holdouts.
"There is a lot of ill-will towards goats, generally speaking," he said.
"They don't have a great reputation in the rural community, which I must say, as a goat owner, is quite well-deserved."
