Markleeville neighborhood Sunday night. Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care mobilized a team to rescue him. The bear, christened Tamarack, has become the face of the fire's effect on wildlife.

"He is the first one,” said Greg Erfani with Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care. “We like to refer to him as, he's our first hope that animals, that wildlife is surviving through this.”

Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care mobilized a team to rescue a six-month-old black bear christened Tamarack.Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care

The cub has severe burns on all four paws and Erfani says veterinarians are working to get a skin treatment that will speed healing.

"We started with Manuka honey,” he said. “It has healing properties and pain relieving properties. So they cover the bear paws in this honey and then they wrap them."

He says they'll follow that up with an innovative tilapia fish skin treatment.

The center will likely keep Tamarack through winter and release him next spring.