MCAS Miramar Welcomes New Firefighters

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (September 15, 2026) – Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar is leaning into an unconventional, deeply historical, and highly effective tool for mitigating fire risk: goats. The installation is releasing herds of grazing animals in a targeted effort to reduce dry brush and invasive grasses, turning to nature-based solutions to protect military infrastructure and neighboring civilian communities.

The "prescribed grazing" program represents a critical component of MCAS Miramar’s broader fire prevention strategyby bringing in hundreds of goats and a team of dedicated shepherds. Base officials are executing a highly coordinated attack on the dense chaparral and non-native vegetation that acts as tinder during the region's notorious dry seasons.

This targeted grazing service is not merely about clearing land; it is a calculated effort to restore landscape resilience.

By selectively thinning overgrown areas, the goats help create strategic fuel breaks.

"When wildfire sparks in Southern California, defensible space is our greatest asset. The strategic fuel breaks created by this targeted grazing program slow a fire's advance and lowers the energy released. This gives our firefighting crews the critical time and tactical advantage they need to suppress a blaze safely and effectively before it escalates." – MCAS Miramar Fire Chief Joshua Allen

If a wildfire is sparked, whether by human activity or natural causes, these grazed zones act as buffers, slowing the fire's advance and giving first responders a tactical advantage.

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