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ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WYFF) — A bear was able to get into an Asheville home and swat at a woman inside on its way out, according to firefighters.
The Reems Creek Fire Department confirmed that fire crews were called to an incident involving a bear about 9 p.m. Tuesday on Spooks Branch Road north of downtown Asheville.
Crews said when they arrived, they used a siren to try and scare away any bears in the area.
They said no bears were seen by firefighters and crews were able to safely get into the home.
Firefighters said a woman inside the home encountered the bear as it left, with the bear swatting at the occupant on its way out.
Buncombe County EMS also responded, evaluated the woman, and took her for further evaluation.
A North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission spokesperson said an adult female bear entered a home through an unlocked door while her three cubs were seen playing on the front porch and said the woman was injured while attempting to give the bear an escape route out of the home.
The NCWRC said the adult female bear poses a threat to human safety and efforts are being made to humanely dispatch the bear. NCWRC biologists will determine whether the cubs are at a self-sufficient age to be moved to an undeveloped area based on NCWRC orphaned cub guidelines.
We saw crews taking bear traps near the woman’s property Wednesday afternoon.
“I mean it’s two-fold because we are starting to get used to seeing bears in the neighborhood and we leave them alone and for the most part they leave us alone but when bears become so aggressive and desperate it is frightening,” one neighbor said, who didn’t want to be identified out of respect for her injured neighbor. “
The Reems Creek Fire Department also said in a post about the bear encounter, “We remind residents in areas with active bear populations to use caution, secure potential food sources and other attractants, and keep doors and windows secured. Please do not approach or attempt to interact with a bear.”
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