Authorities have arrested a woman for starting a fire near where the Fawn Fire has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate in Shasta County.
Cal Fire says that during an interview with law enforcement, officers came to believe she was responsible for setting the fire. She was arrested and booked into Shasta County jail, and the charges were enhanced due to California's current state of emergency related to the ongoing wildfires.
As of Friday morning, the fire is 10% contained and has burned 5,850 acres. More than 25 buildings have been destroyed and the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has issued mandatory evacuations for several areas north of the city of Redding.
Raymond Curtis was evacuated with his family and dog in Redding at the First Church of the Nazarene. A forestry student at Shasta College, Curtis said he hadn't been evacuated before but was ready to go when he got an alert on his phone.
"I've been mentally preparing for it," he said. "I take the slogan Shata Ready pretty seriously. This isn't a new phenomenon, this has been going on for a number of years now with increasing severity."
He said he wasn’t sure where he and his family would stay the night.
“I’m a Shasta College student, I’m plugged in with a number of groups and programs and resources, I’m sure I’ll get it figured out," he said.
Cal Fire said workers at a quarry near where the fire started reported seeing a woman "acting irrationally" Wednesday afternoon. Officials say that later that day a 30-year-old woman walked out of the brush near the fire line. She approached firefighters and told them she was dehydrated and needed medical treatment.
Fawn Fire
This fire started Sept. 22 at Fawndale and Radcliff roads, five miles northeast of Shasta Lake.
Counties: Shasta
Where to Get Information:
- Cal Fire Incident Page
- Shasta County Sheriff Twitter
- Shasta County Sheriff Facebook
- CAL FIRE SHU Twitter
- CAL FIRE SHU Facebook
- City of Redding Evacuation Map
Acreage and Containment
As of 7:25 a.m. on Sept. 24, this fire was 10% contained and had burned 5,850 acres.
Evacuations
Here’s where you can find the latest information on evacuations:
- Shasta County County Emergency Alert Sign Up
- City of Redding Evacuation Map
- Shasta County Sheriff Twitter
- Shasta County Sheriff Facebook
CapRadio's Nick Miller and Steve Milne, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.