With the Los Angeles wildfires finally contained, residents are starting to make the trek home.
But one Californian is learning that the wildfires were not the only disaster to threaten his home.
Because a Los Angeles man made one terrifying discovery under his home after returning from a wildfire evacuation.
Man discovers 500-pound bear taking refuge under his Pasadena home
Los Angeles County in California faced a biblical-level series of wildfires in the month of January that tore through the area.
Residents in the county fled to safety, but so did several wildlife animals.
One Pasadena resident, Sean Lorenzini, who evacuated his home during the fires, just returned and found that one animal chose his home as a place for refuge.
The bear, at least 500 pounds large, hid in the crawl space under his home when the Eaton wildfire spread into his area.
A 500-pound black bear took refuge in the crawl space underneath his home after escaping the Eaton wildfire in the area.
Nicknamed “Yogi,” the bear has been a common sight for residents of Pasadena over the last many years.
But now, Yogi is refusing to leave the area beneath Lorenzini’s house, despite the wildfires being 100% contained.
“That bear has to be 7 feet tall, 5-600 pounds without a doubt,” Lorenzini explained to KTLA, covering the shocking discovery.
Lorenzini’s neighbor, Glen Ferris, noted that the bear moved in once everyone had left the area, but decided that there was no better place to live after choosing the crawl space under the house.
“We think he took refuge in there during the fire… and he hasn’t wanted to come out since then,” added Ferris. “He comes out at night for food. But during the day, pretty much stays in there.”
Ferris explained that he has been using “bear-proofed” trash cans, but Yogi has learned how to break into them anyways for a food source.
Several residents in the neighborhood have also reported bear claw markings on their trash cans as well.
“He’s busted it open,” Ferris said, more surprised than concerned. “We are not afraid of him, he’s around here a lot.”
The biggest issue for Ferris, outside of the problems being caused for Lorenzini, is the noise, however.
“My son’s bedroom backs up to Sean’s house, and he hears him all the time,” he noted. “We know he’s going in and out.”
Lorenzini asks wildlife authorities for help with safely evicting Yogi
Yogi’s presence has become a growing concern for residents in Lorenzini’s neighborhood, and they are worried that the situation may soon become dangerous.
“He’s there, and he’s dangerous,” Lorenzini explained. “You don’t know what he’s going to do.”
“It’s not like he’s not entitled to be here. We are encroaching on his territory,” he conceded. “Nonetheless, this bear and humans aren’t meant to interact like this.”
Lorenzini is hoping to find a solution where wildlife authorities can safely relocate Yogi without requiring that the bear be euthanized.
“I need him out,” he desperately added. “I don’t want him hurt, but I need him removed, and I think he’s just going to come back.”
Lorenzini explained that he has work that needs to be done on his home following the wildfires, but he cannot begin renovations until the bear has been removed from the property.
He pointed out that Yogi has also been adding to the home’s damage while living in the crawl space.
“We are having some fuses blown, so he’s down there obviously whacking things around,” he admitted. “Some of the insulation has been pulled out.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently trying to develop a plan for how they will handle the situation.
This situation echoes a similar story in January, where another black bear found refuge under an Altadena home during the wildfire outbreak.
But the bear was far too large to be tranquilized, so wildfire authorities had to resort to luring the bear out to trap it using peanut butter and rotisserie chicken.
They were able to successfully evict the Altadena bear with this plan, and he has since been relocated to the Angeles National Forest.
Fire damage has been a huge challenge for residents living in the Los Angeles area this year.
But now, there are some other concerns coming into play as residents return to their homes and try to rebuild following the catastrophe.
