Beloved Pasadena Bear ‘Cinnamon’ Returns After Surviving Deadly Eaton Fire

A bear known to locals as “Cinnamon” made its first appearance in a Pasadena neighborhood since the deadly Eaton Fire, taking a refreshing dip in a backyard pool Wednesday.

The bear’s return to the Upper Hastings Ranch area brought relief to residents who had wondered whether local wildlife survived the devastating January blaze. Ramona Mucciolo captured video of Cinnamon swimming in her pool, which aired on KTLA 5 Morning News on Friday.

A bear known to residents in the Upper Hastings Ranch area of Pasadena as “Cinnamon” made her first appearance since the deadly Eaton Fire in January by taking a dip in a resident’s pool on Wednesday.https://t.co/J0eozqRSp3

— KTLA (@KTLA) June 6, 2025

“Cinnamon (yes, we give them names) showed up,” Mucciolo told Yahoo News. “It was significant for us since we’ve all been wondering if the bears made it through.”

Mucciolo said several bears had frequented her neighborhood for years before the fire. None had been seen since the blaze until this week’s sighting.

The bear appeared calm during its pool visit, staying carefully in the shallow end, according to Mucciolo’s observations reported by Yahoo News.

“The mountain is directly across the street from us and as you know the fire in January devastated so much,” Mucciolo said in a KTLA 5 interview.

The Eaton Fire started Jan. 7 near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze burned 14,021 acres before reaching 100% containment Jan. 31.

The fire killed at least 18 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, making it the fifth deadliest and second most destructive wildfire in California history.

Other bears have sought shelter in fire-damaged homes since the blaze. A 525-pound adult male black bear was relocated from under an Altadena home in February, CNN reported. The bear was lured out using peanut butter and rotisserie chicken.

Another homeowner, Sean Lorenzini, told CBS News Los Angeles in February that a 500-600 pound bear had been living under his Pasadena home since the fire.

“He is exclusively living under the house since the fire. It’s a massive safety concern,” Lorenzini said.