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Slide Fire Aftermath Contributing To Bears In Urban Areas

This year’s Slide Fire near Sedona destroyed some 21,000 acres of forest land, leaving them covered in ash. That took away the food source for area bears, which are becoming more and more common in the city. 

Game and Fish Department spokeswoman Lynda Lambert says people need to keep any food or garbage out of areas where a bear can detect them.

“They can smell something as simple as a candy wrapper that you might take into your tent with you. They can smell that from a mile or so, or more away,” Lambert said.

And Lambert said if you encounter a bear you should try to scare it away from inhabited areas, because once they get used to humans, they become a public safety threat. 

She said bears should be afraid of people and if you throw rocks in the bear’s direction and wave your arms and look as big and intimidating as you can, it should retreat.