California man finds 525-pound animal under his home after Los Angeles fires. The bear goes by Barry

A Southern California man returned home after evacuating last month’s devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires to discover an unexpected resident lurking beneath it.

A Southern California man returned home after evacuating last month’s devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires to discover an unexpected resident lurking beneath it. Samy Arbid told CNN he found a 525-pound adult, male black bear living under his Altadena, California, home after the Eaton Fire blazed through the city. The fire scorched more than 14,000 acres and ranks among the state’s top-three most destructive wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The bear, which survived the fire while living under Arbid’s house, required out-of-the-box thinking for a wildlife team to safely lure him out. “Barry,” as local residents call the bear, has been a recurring visitor in the neighborhood for quite some time, according to Arbid, who described him as a “mellow” creature who generally minds his business. The only bears that live in California are black bears, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Arbid and his wife said they were warned about bears in the area, but never expected such a close encounter.