Wildfire and wild animals 5pm

Resist the urge to feed animals in your yard

WILDLIFE -- ESCAPING THE FIREIN THE CATALINA MOUNTAINS.THIS IS VIDEO FROM JUAN CARLOSREN-TERIA -- OF AN ANIMALWALKING IN HIS BACKYARD.SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU SEEWILDLIFE -- IN YOUR YARD?LET'S BRING IN NINE ON YOURSIDE'S CRAIG SMITH - WHO ISLIVE NEAR THE FIRE AT CATALINASTATE PARK.

CRAIG.WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE FIRETHIS AFTERNOON AND LOOKING FORSIGNS STRONGER WINDS COULDMAKE IT MORE INTENSE.

BUTFIRES ARE A PART OF THENATURAL WORLD AND ANIMALS MAYCOPE WITH THEM BETTER THAN WEDO.

IN ORO VALLEY HELICOPTERSHIT THE FIRE HARD, WITH ONEWATER DROP AFTER ANOTHER THISFIRE WAS CAUSED BY LIGHTNINGAND IT SHOWS THE POWER OFNATURE ON A LARGE SCALE.

ITALSO SHOWS HOW ANIMALS AREGETTING OUT OF THE WAY.

A FEWDAYS AGO, WILDLIFE CAMERASCAUGHT A BEAR AWAY FROM THEUSUAL SPOTS HIGHER IN THEMOUNTAINS.

A KGUN9 VIEWERCAUGHT RACOONS VISITING HISYARD AND CATCHING A DRINK FROMHIS SWIMMING POOL.

MARK HARTOF ARIZONA GAME AND FISH SAYSYOU CAN'T AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMETHE FIRE DROVE ANIMALS TO YOURYARD BUT IT CAN CHANGE ANIMALBEHAVIOR.

THE BIGHORN FIRE ISIN THE HEART OF THE AREA WHEREGAME AND FISH RELEASED BIGHORNSHEEP.

HART SAYS IN PAST FIRESTHEY'VE SHOWN THEY KNOW HOW TOSTAY CLEAR OF THE DANGER.DURING THE FINGER ROCK FIRE AFEW YEARS BACK OUR RADIOCOLLAR DATA SHOWED THEM WELLABOVE THE FIRE AND ALMOSTSTATIONARY AS IF THEY WEREWATCHING IT.

AND IN THE CASEOF THE BUSTER MOUNTAIN FIRESAS SOON AS THE FIRE GOTTHROUGH THE AREA THEY MOVEDRIGHT IN TO START EATING THEGREEN SHOOTS THAT WERE COMINGUP.

IT'S GREAT FORAGE FORBIGHORN SHEEP.

IT'S A BIGHORNSHEEP SALAD BAR.

HART SAYSSOME SMALLER ANIMALS WILL TAKESHELTER UNDERGROUND AND JUSTWAIT IN THEIR BURROWS UNTILTHE FIRE PASSES.

WE HAVE SEENPEOPLE SAY THEY WANT TO HELPTHE ANIMALS AND FEED THEM.

ASKIND AS THAT MAY SEEM FEEDINGANIMALS IS ILLEGAL.

IF YOUFEED SMALL ANIMALS, BIG,DANGEROUS ANIMALS WILL SHOWUP, IN YOUR YARD READY TO EATTHEM AND MAYBE ENDANGER YOU.HART SAYS ITS OKAY TO LEAVE ASMALL AMOUNT OF WATER MAYBELIKE A PIE PLATE.

IF YOU LEAVEA LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER YOUMAY BE ATTRACTING LARGE,DANGEROUS ANIMALS.

REPORTINGLIVE, CRAIG SMITH, KGUN9 ONYOUR SIDE.AS A REMINDER -- THERE IS ABIGHORN FIRE HOTLINE -- FORPEOPLE IN -- ANY OF THE "SET"AND "GO" STAGES -- OFEVACUATIONS.

THE NUMBER ONYOUR SCREEN -- 351-FIRE.