Hiker Charged With Starting Massive Wildfire Was Trying to Boil Water
Written by SOURCE on September 28, 2021
A woman has been charged in connection to the Fawn Fire in California that started last week. As she attempted to hike to Canada, the Bay Area native allegedly tried boiling water containing bear urine to make it drinkable, CNN reports.
Alexandra Souverneva, 30, faces a felony arson charge with an enhancement of committing arson during a state of emergency, which was declared for Shasta County by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday. The former yoga teacher has pleaded not guilty. While she’s currently facing up to nine years in prison, additional charges could be handed down following the conclusion of an ongoing investigation into the Fawn Fire, which has yet to be fully contained.
“We are aware that there are possible additional fires here in our county that she may be linked to as well as other charges in other fires, statewide,” District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said. “My office will not hesitate to prosecute (any) person who either intentionally or recklessly starts a fire.”
According to Cal Fire, the Fawn Fire started on Sept. 22, and as of this writing, consumed 8,577 acres. There have been 26 homes and other structures damaged from the blaze, and 185 destroyed. CBS San Francisco reports the wildfire initially put 9,000 buildings in danger, but the total dropped to 2,340 when light rain periodically fell over parts of Northern California. The weather also aided in containment efforts over the weekend.
