Currently in Boston — June 16th, 2022

The weather, currently.

Temperatures will fall back down to the 50s later tonight making for good sleeping weather. It's a blend of clouds and sunshine for Thursday temperatures will reach into the 70s. The breeze will be a little stronger and humidity levels will start to come up. There might be a few showers Thursday night or early Friday as a quick shot of hot air arrives. The highest will be 85°F to 90°F Friday afternoon before a cold front with another chance for showers and thunderstorms puts an end to the heat. The weekend looks dry and comfortably mild with temperatures once again in the 70s.

—Dave Epstein

What you need to know, currently.

Goats — yes, goats — could prevent wildfires in California, according to National Geographic.

The continuation of the megadrought in the West — which has made the region the driest its been in 1,200 years — along with the upcoming dry winter and looming effects of climate change will surely worsen this year’s fire season. And, dead vegetation has increased the number of California wildfires as well. Megablazes, which are fires that burn more than 100,000 acres, are devastating the state more and more, too.

During past fire seasons, land managers have utilized herbicide and human labor to clear out some of the foliage and non-native plants that compete with the state’s native vegetation. When non-native species die off, they become fuel for wildfires. And sometimes, these clearing methods still left seeds behind.

As a result, more and more people in California are bringing in goats to clear the land and in turn, prevent wildfires. When the goats eat any unwanted or non-native vegetation, the plants’ seeds become nonviable.

So, next time you see a horned herbivore trotting around, munching on some vegetation, thank it for its service. It could be stopping a fire.

—Aarohi Sheth