It sounds like the opening line of a joke – “A bear walks into a fire station …” – but it actually happened at Station 16 recently, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department. In a video posted on social media Monday, a bear can be seen walking into the station’s bay and eventually making off with a gear bag. Fire Department officials jokingly referred to the animal as “Smokey the Bear” but also reminded Colorado Springs residents that black bears are currently in hyperphagia, seeking to bulk up for the winter season. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials ask homeowners to be especially “bear aware” this time of year by keeping food and trash secured, taking down bird feeders, keeping pet food inside the home, and putting out trash the morning of pickup instead of the night before. Additionally, people are discouraged from attempting to feed bears. “Depending on human food sources is unsafe and puts bears and people at risk,” CSFD officials said. Parks and Wildlife has received over 6,000 reports of bear sightings this year, nearly double this time last year, and is on pace for the highest since CPW began digital reporting in 2019. Compared to annual averages, CPW’s southeast region has the largest increase. The region, which includes Colorado Springs, typically has 807 annual bear reports and already has 1,122 this year as of Aug. 13, according to CPW data. In El Paso and Pueblo counties, reports are up 89% and 847% from 2025, respectively. The extremely active bear summer has prompted Parks and Wildlife to schedule several outreach events across the state to educate residents on keeping bears away amid record sightings. CPW’s BearWise outreach team held its first event over the weekend in Monument and has more events planned in Teller, Huerfano and Pueblo counties, including the Colorado State Fair, according to officials. Last week, bear attacks occurred at a residence in Steamboat Springs and a city park in Aspen. The next day, CPW reported a 300-pound bear died inside a vehicle in Colorado Springs after becoming trapped, “likely” for days, while searching for food. Find this story and more at gazette.com 🐻 #blackbear #bear #fyp #viral #drought - @springsgazette