After the Caldor fire forced 22,000 residents of South Lake Tahoe, California, to evacuate, bears in the region took it upon themselves to patrol the mostly empty area.
With residents gone, garbage service suspended last week and fire burning through their habitat, bears dug through the resort town’s trash cans and broke into homes in search of food. They were spotted in homes, at gas stations and outside grocery stores. Neighborhoods were littered with trash and bear break-ins, which have long been a problem in this area and are common this time of year, rose significantly with dozens of homes and vehicles affected, the El Dorado county sheriff’s office said.
“Historically Tahoe bears have always been a problem especially in the late summer. They’re getting ready for winter so they’re trying to pack on the calories,” said Eric Palmberg, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office. “There were no people so they roamed the city.”
The Nevada department of wildlife asked South Tahoe Refuse, a garbage collection operator, to set up temporary dump sites for residents and businesses to centralize food and other waste in an effort to help address the problem, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“Bears are just having a heyday of it. It’s just a nightmare,” John Tillman, the owner of South Tahoe Refuse, told the newspaper. “There’s so much garbage on the street because of the bears. Oh my God, they are making a mess.”
The Caldor fire forced unprecedented evacuations in the Lake Tahoe area, a popular tourist destination on the California-Nevada border, last week. Though firefighters were able to protect the town of South Lake Tahoe from the flames, thousands are still working to defend the surrounding resort communities. The blaze, which has destroyed 776 homes, is 50% contained and still threatens areas south of the town.
Bears are known to roam around Lake Tahoe area neighborhoods but after the evacuation, officials warned there was more bear activity than usual and that returning residents should look out for animals in the area.
“Bears [are] not used to humans, so they’re not scared of cars and more likely to walk in front of you,” the city of South Lake Tahoe said on its website.
The region has long had issues with marauding bears entering human-occupied areas in search of food. In August, a California man filed a lawsuit after he was injured trying to flee from a bear that surprised him in a Lake Tahoe dumpster. Bears have increasingly broken into homes as Lake Tahoe neighborhoods have gotten better about securing trash.
The issue has divided the community over how to respond to the animals. Officials have euthanized some bears who have broken into homes, which local bear advocates oppose. They argue authorities should focus on educating the community and tourists on how to best secure their trash and homes.
