Fire Leaves Wildlife Homeless

Thousands of bugs and slow-moving animals have died in the fire. But some animals, like deer, bobcat and bear, have been able to outrun the blaze.

Malcolm North is a research scientist with the U.S. Forest Service and a UC Davis professor. He says critters that have adapted to high-intensity burn areas will thrive.

"It’s favorable for some woodpecker species and some insects but many other animals such as deer and bear will be avoiding the area for a while."

…and North says deer and bear face some real constraints. The higher elevation doesn’t work as habitat for many of the species and there’s not much habitat available around the lake because of all the homes.