firewood

That instinct led one hungry black bear to a South Lake Tahoe home across the Nevada border, surprising an 87-year-old man who had stepped into his garage for firewood before dawn Wednesday.

And when that longing becomes too acute, he starts to help them — gathering their firewood, repairing their fences, performing small miracles of labor under cover of night.

There are severe operational challenges, such as the lack of safe water and firewood.

Zone One is within 30 feet of a structure; here, residents cannot store firewood.

"We can't farm or do anything outside the town. Even carts used to fetch firewood are seized. We are calling out for help just to survive," said a resident in Bourzanga, another town.