Crews Fighting Yosemite Wildfire Have Another Threat To Deal With: Bears

The Yosemite wildfire has been raging for quite some time. Though firefighting crews have been battling the flames, theirs is an increasingly uphill task. However, apart from the blazing inferno, the crew has to deal with an additional threat: bears.

Crews struggling against an aggressive wildfire in Yosemite National Park have had to deal with steep terrain, dense forest brush, oppressive heat, and now, bears. According to the U.S. Forest Service, bears have become “a major issue with fire crew safety” in camps and along the fire line, reported USA News.

Despite their best efforts to ensure bears aren’t attracted to camp sites, crews have to deal with them on a daily basis, reported Telesur TV. In a recent update on their official site, the crew jotted their techniques.

“Extensive measures are being taken not to attract bears to the food and other supplies. Trash is being backhauled daily.”

It isn’t coincidence that Yogi Bear hailed from Yosemite. Bears in Yosemite are notoriously resourceful at getting their paws on visitors’ food. Visitors and now firefighters have to dump their trash only in bear-proof metal bins fastened with carabiners. Food and other edibles have to be stored inside thick metal lockers fastened with a steel rod. All these precautions are mandatory since the bears have long ago figured out how to break into less-secure containers.

Surprisingly, the brave firefighters aren’t considering bears an actual threat, but just another wrinkle in their path. The meadow fire, which is believed to have started sometime in July, went undetected, quietly burning about 20 acres in a remote section of wilderness. It was eventually discovered in mid-August, but wasn’t considered a danger until last Sunday, when strong winds helped the fire engulf more than 2,600 acres in a single day.

The Yosemite fire has now grown to be a real threat and many of the park’s most popular areas, including Little Yosemite Valley and the Half Dome trail, have already been cut off. Fortunately, firefighters have begun to get the upper hand on the blaze. Their efforts appear to have arrested the rampant growth, but not before the fire burned down almost 5,000 acres.

As per an official update from the U.S. Forest Service, the fire is now 50 percent contained and it is expected that the Yosemite wildfire will be snuffed out in a couple of weeks.

Though the fires will be eventually extinguished, has anyone wondered what the loss of habitat will do to the wildlife, especially the bears, which have long been a solid attraction to anyone visiting the park?

[Image Credit | Justin Sullivan via Getty Images, Cory Yap, Jeffrey Brooker, InciWeb]