Behind the Scenes Interview: Melisa, Part 2

Continuing where we left off (Part 1 Here)

"Wrapped in swaddling clothes" by Ryan M. Lamb

Adam: Let’s move to the day of the rescue, July 17, 2008. What were you doing?

• Melisa: I was assigned to Drop Point 25 to support fire engines and for road rehab/dust control. By that point,the Moon fire was in it's mop up/rehab stage. While in staging, we heard Adam on the radio stating he spotted an injuredbear cub in the burn area. We all listened in. I knew the area Adam was in as I had drove that road the prior day. It was a narrow dozer line. We listened as Adam said he was going to bring the cub to staging. We could hear the cub,s squeals over the radio.

Adam: So what happened once I got to where you were?

• Melisa: As Adam and the cub came into the Drop Point, the Cub was obviously scared. That is when I grabbed the towel out of my truck (Ha ha, thinking like a mom). Swaddling a baby makes them feel more secure. Also, by swaddling the cub, it would not as easily scratch or bite Adam. The towel appeared to help.  As Adam radioed in for further instruction from camp everyone seemed to pitch in: A bottled water for the cubs obvious dehydration, and snacks from lunches for the hungry cub. [Editors Note: we were told later that you should NEVER give an injured animal anything to eat or drink! Oops]

Adam: So describe what the scene was like.

• Melia: It was surreal. We all knew this was an amazing moment.  Personally, I had never seen a bear in the wild until the Shasta Lightning incident! Now, I was helping with this precious little cub....wow! Life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it?

Adam: So eventually, I was given orders to bring the cub back to camp. But that wasn’t the end of our day together, was it?

• Melisa: No, I offered to drive. Honestly, I was happy that Adam accepted my offer as I really wanted to be of help to the tiny cub. I knew this would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My offer to drive was heartfelt desire to help the cub. Adam held the cub like a dad holds his child! I tried to keep the drive as smooth as possible. George followed us in his truck knowing I would need a ride back to the Drop Point.

Adam: Describe the drive back to camp.

• Melisa: On the drive, Adam talked to the cub like a baby. He talked calmly and provided all the comfort he could. He said the little bear reminded him of his dogs that he loves. We kept the vehicle as calm as we could for Li'l Smokey's comfort. I was able to pet Li'l Smokey on his head and nose. Sadly, the drive to camp felt like it went by too quickly.

Adam: Can you remember anything else about the drive back?

• Melisa: Oh yea...Li'l Smokey did NOT smell good!!

Adam: You made an important observation as we got close to camp, what was it?

• Melisa: We were told to bring Li’l Smokey into the medical unit, but we did not want a big or chaotic scene upon our arrival. Lots of people knew what was happening from listening in on the radio but we needed to keep Li'l Smokey as calm as possible. We were hoping to get there "un noticed".

Next: Back at camp.

Comments

[Joanne Deem McCool]

Adam, I haven't seen anything about the cubs mom. Did you know that she must have died in the fire, or didn't you think about that. I've heard that the mother bear will go to all lengths to protect her young.
I'm so amazed that so many people rallied to save this cub in the middle of what appeared to be a dangerous place. I salute you firefighters for the work that you do. It's a special calling to risk your lives for others.

[Adam]

Joanne,

That is a good question. Many people have asked if the mother died in the fire. At the time, I assumed that the mother had died, since I didn't think the baby would be abandoned otherwise. A few weeks after the rescue, we went back to the site where I rescued Li'l Smokey and, much to my surprise, the area where I found him was covered in adult bear prints. I think that the mother had followed his scent and was looking for him where I had picked him up. In addition, there was another set of baby prints, leading us to believe that Li'l Smokey had a sibling that survived. I think that Li'l Smokey was probably separated from his mother during the confusion of the fire, and she came back to look for him when the fire had gone out.

[Linda - Sierra Foothills]

Just read Part 2 of your interview with Melisa. Loved her thinking of the towel and the whole story of her driving you and Li'l Smokey back to camp. This is all so much fun. Looking forward to Part 3.

Also, read the above comments on Li'l Smokey's Mom and sibling and adore the story. I am so very glad you went back there and found such a great treat!