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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Nevada firefighters rescued a black bear in Washoe Valley after finding the bear badly burned by a nearby wildfire.
The Davis Fire ignited at Davis Creek Regional Park in Washoe Valley, Nevada, on September 7. It quickly spread out of control with the blaze reaching nearly 6,000 acres, according to the most recent update. Earlier this week, strong winds threatened to drive the flames into South Reno, but crews made good progress on the fire, which is now 92 percent contained, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue (TMFR) Communications Officer Adam Mayberry told Newsweek.
"Twelve structures were lost in the initial blaze, including the park ranger's home on site," a report from Washoe County said.
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Washoe County has declared a state of emergency related to the fire, which destroyed 14 homes and several commercial buildings, Mayberry said. It also injured one black bear.
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Crews were notified of the hurt bear by a resident in Washoe Valley. When firefighters arrived, they found the bear badly burned and alive, but not moving.
"#TMFR crews responded to a report of an injured bear off of Granite Ridge Road in Washoe Valley. NV Dept of Wildlife was immediately notified," TMFR posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday night. "The bear was badly hurt with burnt paws and burn marks around his face and mouth."
Photos included with the post show the bear and the firefighters working to help him. As of Thursday morning, the post has been viewed nearly 23,000 times.
Once staff from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) arrived, the firefighters assisted them in transporting the bear, who was identified as a 25-year-old male, to the NDOW facility to receive treatment. The bear was named Nugget.
A NDOW spokesperson told Newsweek that the department refers to the bear as G51.
"Currently the Department's veterinarian is assessing his health and has applied bandages to G51's third-degree burns on his paws and has administered pain medication for pain management. The Nevada Department of Wildlife is incredibly concerned for the health of the bear and don't know G51's mobility and the severity of the burns," the spokesperson said. "The Department doesn't know how long the bear has been burned nor do we know how severely, or how deep the burns are that G51 has sustained, therefore it is too early to determine how severe the burns are. Much like humans, it takes time to reveal how severe the burns are. The Nevada Wildlife Department is incredibly concerned with the health of G51 and we are ensuring that G51 has the proper care and that he is comfortable."
The spokesperson added that NDOW has not treated other animals harmed by the wildfire.
Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the fire. Mayberry said he expects crews to accomplish 100 percent containment in the next day or two.
"There was a lot of concern earlier in the week due to high winds that it would be pushed well into the city, but fire crews worked very hard to make sure that didn't happen," he said.
No civilians were injured, and no fatalities have been reported. One firefighter has been injured.
Mayberry said that Nugget's rescue was a "bright spot," as thousands of people were required to evacuate the area.
"This was extra special given the nature of the Davis Fire that threatened so many homes and really impacted a lot of people," Mayberry said. "This was a bright spot that people can relate to."
Update 9/19/24, 3:37 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from NDOW.
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