When it comes to fighting wildfires, crews need all the help they can get, so how about cows?

The BC Cattlemen’s Association has received a $500,000 dollar grant to investigate the use of cattle to reduce the fuel for wildfires.

As general manager of the Association Kevin Boon explains, it’s not that far fetched of an idea.

“Really, a lot of this is what our ranchers have done for the last 150 years where they create green space by removing timber back from their ranches and grazing those areas heavily in the spring to reduce that fuel.”

Boon adds if the fuel has been reduced, the fire doesn’t burn as hot, causing the soil to recover quickly, helping watersheds and keeping out invasive plants.