What happened: Spanish grassroots initiatives adopt donkey-based grazing for wildfire mitigation
Wildfires in parts of Europe have forced evacuations in France and Spain. Some communities farther from the frontlines are adopting donkey-based grazing as a wildfire mitigation strategy. Two Spanish grassroots initiatives, Tivissa Donkey Firefighters and El Burrito Feliz, use donkeys to reduce flammable dry grass and scrub. The stated objective is to slow wildfire spread and lower fire intensity by reducing the vegetation available as wildfire “fuel” on the ground.
Tivissa Donkey Firefighters and El Burrito Feliz frame donkey grazing as an add-on method. Donkey grazing is presented as not replacing conventional wildfire prevention measures such as firebreak machinery, early detection, and manual clearing.
Background and earlier position: grazing framed as supplementary fuel reduction
Tivissa Donkey Firefighters describes operational reasoning for donkey grazing as changing ground fuel characteristics. The founder of Tivissa Donkey Firefighters is quoted preferring donkeys over other grazing animals, citing a larger appetite and sturdiness. The founder also claims that donkey weight and harder treading help break up connected layers of dry foliage.
Tivissa Donkey Firefighters also describes grazing trails left by donkeys as useful for firefighting teams to find paths during emergencies.