"Follow Me"... Goat Leads Firefighters at US Wildfire Site, Becomes SNS Star

Goat "Goldie" Guides Firefighters to Safety
T-shirts Featuring Her Face Released
Part of Proceeds to Be Donated

Firefighters battling wildfires in Colorado, United States, encountered an unexpected helper. A local resident’s goat guided the firefighters along rugged mountain paths, helping to ensure their safe movement.

According to CBS on July 10 (local time), at the site of the Rock Creek wildfire on the west side of Cheyenne Mountain State Park, a goat named Goldie—raised by a local resident—appeared.

Shane Coyne, the incident commander of Colorado’s wildfire response team, said he met Goldie as he was preparing equipment to head to the scene. “I knew the path we had to take was very steep, and it wouldn’t be easy coming back down,” he recalled. “But Goldie sat about three meters ahead of me and kept looking back.” He added, “Goldie kept bleating, and one of the crew behind me said, ‘I think she wants us to follow her.’”

Goat Goldie, who has emerged as the "Wildfire Hero" on social media for helping firefighters. Colorado Springs Fire Department

However, Coyne explained that Goldie was not simply following the firefighters. As the team made their way to the wildfire site, Goldie acted as if she was leading them along a safer route, steering them onto less rocky and less slippery ground. “It seemed like she was guiding us to better footing,” he said, adding, “She was a true professional who really knew her job.”

Even after arriving at the scene, Goldie stayed near the firefighters, grazing on brush around the area that had already burned. Coyne remarked, “Who would have thought a small goat could be so helpful?”

Goldie appears to have been influenced by her owner, Pete Glader, who is also a firefighter in the Castle Rock area. Glader was also involved in the wildfire response. He said, “The firefighters were using the area near our house as a staging point, and as soon as the first team set out, Goldie immediately followed them. Since Goldie knows the terrain well and knows where home is, I figured she’d be fine. So I thought, ‘Go have some fun, and look after the firefighters for us.’”

Images of Goldie, captured on cell phones, quickly spread on social media, turning her into an unexpected “Wildfire Hero.” T-shirts featuring Goldie’s face are now being sold, with a portion of the proceeds set to be donated to the Castle Rock Firefighters Foundation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.