Cinder the black bear shortly after rescue.Fish and Wildlife, Department of, Public Affairs, Digital Photographs, 2003-2019 - Ar65-1-0-11_Cindertheblackbearcub

In 2014 the Carlton Complex Fire swept through Okanogan County in Washington State. A total of 256,108 acres were burned in the fire, and 353 homes and 149 other structures were destroyed. A young Black Bear cub was found alive in the wake of the fire. She had sustained burns all over her body and all four paws. She was quickly taken to a wildlife rehab center in Lake Tahoe, California and treated for her burns. She was then transferred to Idaho to complete her rehab. Cinder had become a symbol for the areas affected by the fire. If she could recover, so could the people. She even inspired a children’s book, Cinder the Bear: A True Story of Rescue, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Return, by Barbara deRubertis.

You can see this image and many others in the Washington State Archives, Digital Archives - Title Info: Fish and Wildlife, Department of, Public Affairs, Digital Photographs, 2003-2019

Written by Sam Wilson