Williams Lake resident to use cattle for wildfire mitigation

A Williams Lake, B.C., landowner has been given the green light to use cattle to mitigate the spread of grass fires on his property.

Luigi Mandrino was granted a temporary permit to have cows graze on hisland which is covered in tall grass and situatednext to a large forest in hopes the grass will be eaten down to a level that is safe in the event of a wildfire.

"They're pretty effective at keeping the land clean," Mandrino said. "They eats lots. That's all they do, actually."

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"I think it's a great idea and it'll help maybe stop some grass fires," said Williams Lake Mayor Walt Cobb.

"[Fires] travel across the grasslands very fast depending on the wind."

This initiative has been in the works since May 2017, before last summer's record-breaking wildfire season, which affected the entire province, but hurt the Cariboo in particular.

When Mandrino approached the local fire chief about the idea, he was told he'd have to get the appropriate zoning from the city to allow for livestock on his property

"We are in an area that has lots of grass, in a sloping area," he said. "We're closest to the valley. If something happens down the valley, it will come up this way no doubt."

Mandrino will have to renew the permit every three years.

With files from Daybreak Kamloops

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