Resident returns after evacuation: a surprise awaits under his house!

Los Angeles (USA) - A California resident was returning to his home after the devastating sea of flames when he made a wild discovery.

Shelter from the flames: A bear has found refuge under a house in Los Angeles.
Shelter from the flames: A bear has found refuge under a house in Los Angeles.  © California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The man was evacuated from the Altadena district in the course of the so-called "Eaton Fire" in the north of Los Angeles.

While the resident was able to wait out the firefighting work in safety, a bear weighing around 240 kilograms found refuge from the flaming inferno in the "crawl space" under his house, according to the Californian environmental authority.

As many houses in the USA are built on a foundation, there is a small gap between the ground and the façade. This is where the colossus had endured the threatening situation.

When the local energy supplier tried to switch the building's power back on, the bear was discovered and the environmental authorities were alerted.

A 24-hour operation was launched.

Full physical effort was required to lure the bear out from under the house.
Full physical effort was required to lure the bear out from under the house.  © California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Bear hides from fire in Los Angeles

The animal then returned to its natural environment.
The animal then returned to its natural environment.  © California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Specialists lured the male bear out of his lair and let him run into a crate with a trap door. When it snapped shut, the animal was anaesthetized and taken away.

After a medical examination, the forest dweller was taken to the Angeles National Forest, where he was released back into the wild.

Meanwhile, the occupant of the house was instructed to close his "crawl space".