Bears bring bad news during Lake Tahoe fire evacuation

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — When the Caldor Fire gobbled up conifer trees and crossed the Sierra Nevada past week, South Lake Tahoe, a scenic assemblage of 22,000 radical connected the California-Nevada authorities line, transformed into a smoke-choked shade town.

After worrying passim each of past week astir the occurrence approaching their homes and landmarks they clasp dear, residents who returned Monday said they were thankful firefighters had stopped the blazes connected the town’s doorstep. But it appeared astir residents remained distant and astir shops remained closed successful usually thriving Labor Day destination town.

Authorities warned residents, that successful the lack of humans, bears had gone to town, spreading trash. “The delicate equilibrium betwixt humans and bears has been upset,” and anyone who thinks a carnivore whitethorn person entered their location should telephone instrumentality enforcement, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Sgt. Simon Brown said.

The Bay Area’s KTVU Fox 2 said constabulary reported that 15 retired of 17 imaginable break-in calls were really “bear burglaries.”

Chirawat Mekrakseree said helium had seen signs of bears sifting done the trash astatine his edifice connected Lake Tahoe Boulevard, My Thai Cuisine.

Mekrakseree plans to reopen and commencement serving curries and noodle dishes connected Wednesday but worries the tourists helium depends connected whitethorn not travel backmost portion the fume lingers. And helium doesn’t cognize what to archer his unit astir erstwhile concern volition instrumentality to mean aft an already uncertain twelvemonth with the pandemic, helium said.