That's because of the fire danger on the 8,650-acre Cree Fire near Ruidoso, which is expected to be fully contained tomorrow. Claws' for Concern Fire crews also used the sirens on their fire engines to try to frighten the bears away, fire information officer Maria Garcia said. The crews take sack lunches out on the fire lines and put them in a staging camp-type area, she said. Bird feeders set up by homeowners in the area also attract bears, Bode said. He suggested homeowners with bear problems can sometimes drive the animals away using high-power squirt guns with ammonia mixed in the water.
Bears hate that.
A word of caution, however. Homeowners should then keep the squirters away from children, he said. And homeowners should not subsequently use ammonia-tainted sprayers for other garden projects, such as fertilizing. Fire can severely limit available habitat for bears, he said. When we have a fire of significant size like this, it affects our ability to trap and move bears.