Overview
- A 4-year-old Nigerian dwarf goat named Goldie, short for Golden Oreo, trailed Colorado Springs firefighters on the Rock Creek line and even followed a departing fire truck, Lt. Trevor Leland said late Friday.
- The Rock Creek Fire grew to about five acres and was reported 50% contained late Friday, with Colorado Springs Fire Department spokesperson Ashley Franco saying crews hoped to complete containment that day.
- Goldie’s owner, Lindsey Glader, said the goat offered comedic relief and a welcome lift to exhausted crews who had been working long shifts on local wildfires.
- Colorado Springs crews had recently been deployed to the larger Aspen Acres Fire that forced thousands of evacuations, illustrating how multiple incidents are straining local firefighting resources.
- Fire agencies attribute the busy season and difficult suppression conditions to a record lack of snow this winter, unusually high summer temperatures, and erratic winds that increase fire activity and complexity.