Did a Russian visitor named Ivan Stepanov rescue a tranquilized bear that was drowning in Lake Tahoe? No, that's not true: ...

Social media posts credited an Ivan Stepanov with rescuing a drowning bear in Lake Tahoe. In reality, Adam Warwick rescued a drowning bear in Florida.

A story of a drowning bear and its rescue at Lake Tahoe by a Russian man named Ivan Stepanov has gone viral on social media.

The Tallac Hotshots in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., in May. “I spend more time with this group then I do with my family,” said Elsa Gaule, one of the crew’s captains.

The Tallac Hotshots fought the Mosquito fire near Foresthill, Calif., in September of 2022. A Times photographer spent parts of two fire seasons with them. Max Whittaker for The New York Times ...