Pyrograzing turns ordinary livestock into fire prevention heroes, so why isn’t it used on public lands more often?

In the grasslands of the American West, cattle, goats, and sheep are being used to help reduce wildfire risks.

This practice, called targeted grazing, involves strategically placing livestock in areas with tall, dry grasses and shrubs that could fuel wildfires.

As the animals graze, they eat or trample the vegetation, lowering the amount of flammable material on the ground.

The goal is not to eliminate wildfires entirely but to make them less intense or easier to control.

For example, in 2017, beef cattle in California alone consumed around 600 pounds of vegetation per acre across nearly 34 million acres.

This method is gaining attention because severe wildfire seasons are straining firefighting resources and public land budgets.

Targeted grazing is seen as a cost-effective alternative to methods like controlled burns or heavy machinery, especially in remote or steep terrain where those methods are impractical.