Wind-Pushed Fawn Hearth Close to Redding Explodes To five,500 Acres; Suspected Arsonist Arrested – CBS San Francisco
SHASTA LAKE, Shasta County (CBS SF) – At least 4,000 people were evacuated from the growing fawn fire that burns northeast of Redding on Thursday.
After initially burning about 50 hectares early Wednesday evening, the wildfire exploded on 5,500 hectares on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. It’s contained five percent.
Cal Fire said 25 buildings were destroyed by the windswept wildfire. Another 2,000 buildings are currently threatened by fire.
#FawnFire near Fawndale Rd and Radcliff Rd in #ShastaCounty County is 5,500 acres and is 5% contained. # CALFIRESHU2021 @ ShastaSheriff @ 211Norcal pic.twitter.com/JLiwyXlc3U
– CAL FIRE SHU (@CALFIRESHU) September 24, 2021
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office previously reported that some buildings were on fire, but did not specify the type of structures. KCRC-TV reported that several houses northeast of Redding in the area of the Old Oregon Trail and Sunrise Drive were on fire.
FAWN FIRE:
The main campus of Shasta College in Redding canceled classes on Friday due to the wildfire, school officials said.
From earlier today on the Old Oregon Trail at the #fawnfire pic.twitter.com/l7SmIccEbh
– Ethan Swope (@EthanSwopePhoto) September 24, 2021
The fawn fire began Wednesday in the area of Fawndale Road and Radcliff Road, about five miles northeast of the town of Shasta Lake, which is south of the Shasta Dam and Shasta Lake Reservoir. The fire burned in steep, rugged terrain and overnight wind conditions made the fire turn out in many areas.
Cal Fire said Thursday workers at a nearby quarry reported a woman walking into the quarry’s property and acting irrationally when the fire broke out on Wednesday. Later, when the fire department was fighting the fire, a woman came out of the bushes near the fire line and approached the crews and said she was dehydrated and needed medical attention.
After treatment, the woman was questioned by Cal Fire police officers who determined that she was responsible for starting the fire. The woman, identified as 30-year-old Alexandra Souverneva from Palo Alto, was charged with arson in Wildlands in the Shasta County Jail. The indictment also bears an upgrade because of the declared state of emergency that California is in because of the fire hazard.
#FawnFire pic.twitter.com/Z91peoueMb
– hashtagthis (@ hashtagthis2) September 23, 2021
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the Mountain Gate community Thursday morning and the evacuation orders were expanded several times on Thursday afternoon. Mandatory evacuations now include:
- The Mountain Gate Community
- All roads off the Old Oregon Trail in either direction between Bear Mountain North and Interstate 5
- All roads north of the Old Oregon Trail at Akrich north to Pine Grove and east of Interstate 5
- The entire Holiday Road south of the Old Oregon Trail
- All roads east of Dry Creek along the Elk Trail east, north to Shasta Lake and back down Dry Creek
In addition, an evacuation warning was issued for areas north of SR-299 and east of I-5. Redding Police said Code Red notifications were being issued in the area. Residents who choose to evacuate are advised to head towards SR299.
Fawn Fire burns in Shasta County (PG&E Bear Mtn camera)
Housing was established in the First Church of the Nazarene at 2255 Bechelli Lane in Redding. A temporary evacuation center in the Shasta College parking lot in Redding has been closed as the area was also being evacuated.
The evacuees were asked to take important belongings, medicines and pets with them, if possible. Cal OES estimates that 2,500 residents have been evacuated due to the fawn fire.
In a tweet, the sheriff’s office said the fire forced 4,000 people to evacuate and “affected” 30,000 others, believed to be those on evacuation warnings.
There were reports that the fire was approaching the Alert Wildfire camera on Bear Mountain.
Some details on the seemingly significant death of @AlertWildfire Bear Mtn. Fire cam when the #FawnFire arrives: 1) no retarder fell on the site meaning tankers are busy being used on higher lots 2) very poor fuel release around this location. https://t.co/kTLctEpNNP pic.twitter.com/o5uolBql6H
– CaliforniaDisasters (@CalDisasters) September 23, 2021
#FawnFire 15 minute timelapse from Bear MTN camera on Alertwildfire. Rapid growth, and it’s only 9:39 a.m. this morning. pic.twitter.com/ZjPXkzaSeR
– Michael Steinberg (@ Michael81057404) September 23, 2021
The #FawnFire jumped the Old Oregon Trail near Union School Rd … luckily I had an escort through the part of the fire where I recorded this video @ KRCR7 https://t.co/aXcMRoVQ1F pic.twitter .com / ru8Qy6Guk0
– Mason Carroll KRCR (@MasonCCarroll) September 23, 2021
