Oregon: More wild horses equals less fire fuels

KDRV.com - Full story and video

By: Brett Taylor
Apr 28, 2022 Updated Apr 29, 2022

MEDFORD, Ore-- We've all seen it during the last several wildfire seasons in Oregon & California, the number of wildfires per year is growing and so is their intensity.

Just in the last two years alone, more than two million acres have scorched by wildfires across Oregon, leaving thousands people homeless and some areas devastated.

But the impacts of wildfires goes far beyond impacting just people.

"We are losing wildlife, " said William E. Simpson II, an Ethologist for Wild Horse Fire Brigade. Every acre of forest that burns we are losing between 20 to 80 animals. Our wildlife populations are being decimated."

Back in 2014, Simpson had been pondering the very question that many people in Oregon might be thinking today, "Why is this happening, and how do we solve this growing wildfire problem."

But during one of his studies in Northern California, Simpson said he may have discovered one possible solution, wild horses.

"They were actually beneficial to the landscape," said Simpson. "They were creating natural fire breaks and areas of reduced fuels..."

Read more here:
https://www.kdrv.com/news/top-stories/more-wild-horses-equals-less-fire-fuels/article_f0c57e12-c70d-11ec-8cca-4b6fcee463b9.html