Bear proof in Evergreen

The Daily Inter Lake

A home in Evergreen is safely bear-proofed for a while, after a little boy's accident Friday afternoon.

He's expected to be fine after discharging a can of bear spray in his East Evergreen Drive house.

His mother called for help Friday afternoon, unsure what her 4-year-old son had gotten into. She said he was trying to rub his eyes and there was a growing chemical presence in the house.

The two had to go to a neighbor's house to wait for help when the odor became too strong.

Evergreen Fire Department responded. By the time they arrived, the chemical was so potent firefighters needed breathing apparatus to get into the building.

"You couldn't go in there. It was pretty powerful," said Fire Chief Don Doty.

His firefighters ventilated the building while Kalispell Fire Department sent an ambulance. The boy went to the hospital to be decontaminated.

The child had apparently climbed up to a cabinet above the refrigerator to reach the bear spray, Doty said. The main ingredient in the spray is a red-pepper oil extract. It produces involuntary eye closure and intense burning, intended to repel bears.

"It was probably a pretty traumatic experience," Doty said.