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Man sets own car on fire on California highway to scare off bears

TRUCKEE, Calif. — A man set his own car ablaze Thursday morning on a California highway in an attempt to deter bears that were no where near the area, authorities said.

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The California Highway Patrol responded to a car fire around 5:30 a.m. on Interstate 80 near the California/Nevada border and found a man in his 30s yelling about “the bears,” SF Gate reported.

“Listen, we have bears in the area,” Officer Carlos Perez said. “But there were no bears nearby.”

Officers determined the man set his own vehicle on fire and they quickly put out the flames. The man, who was not identified, was arrested and charged with arson and being under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, SF Gate reported.

“We are always appreciative of additional fire extinguisher training, but in case anyone was wondering, no you can’t light a fire on the hood of your vehicle to ‘keep the bears away,’” the agency said on social media.

We are always appreciative of additional fire extinguisher training, but in case anyone was wondering, no you cant light a fire on the hood of your vehicle to "keep the bears away."

Posted by CHP - Truckee on Thursday, July 15, 2021