UPDATE: Fawn Fire grows to nearly 6,000 acres – 25 structures destroyed – Alleged arsonist in custody

UPDATED: Friday, Sept. 24, 1:42 p.m., With additional details, updates.

Originally Published: Friday, Sept. 24, 9:40 a.m.

REDDING, Calif., — As the destructive Fawn Fire enters its second full day and continues to grow, fire officials say favorable overnight winds helped firefighters make good progress in increasing the nearly 6,000 acre wildland vegetation fire’s containment to ten percent. All evacuation orders remain in effect for the blaze, which has now destroyed more than two dozen structures in the Poco Vista, Woodchuck Trail and Stockton/Sunrise areas.

A Palo Alto woman accused of igniting the swift-moving fire remains in custody, where she is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail or bond. The alleged arsonist, 30-year-old Alexandra Souverneva, was seen trespassing in the area and acting erratically shortly before the fire was reported and later spotted by firefighters walking out from the burning brush near the fire. She then approached firefighters and asked for medical treatment, stating she was dehydrated, according to a CAL FIRE release that reported the woman was interviewed by CAL FIRE-Shasta law enforcement officers and subsequently arrested.

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Anderson City Council unanimously votes Jon Poletski to position of Police Chief

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At around 7:30 a.m., fire officials said the blaze had grown by only 350 acres overnight, reaching around 5,850 acres by this morning. Officials also confirmed that 25 structures had been destroyed, but they did not specify how many of those structures were homes.

Smoke from the now 5,850 acre #FawnFire can be seen billowing high into the sky above the rooftops and over the Sundial Bridge yesterday, with thick and choking smoke being reported throughout numerous area communities. Julie Mignon photo (L), City of Redding photo (R).

“Overnight favorable winds allowed firefighters to make good progress mopping up around structures,” Cal Fire said in their release this morning; adding that around 1,000 firefighters from multiple surrounding agencies are now involved in battling the blaze and that “additional resources have arrived and are in place.”

Resources at the scene as of this morning’s update include 85 engines, 25 water tenders, 11 helicopters, 28 hand crews and 17 dozers, according to Cal Fire.

Officials also said the number of threatened structures had increased from around 2,000 to 9,066, and that at least 4,000 residents have been evacuated. An additional 30,000 residents are currently affected by the fire, according to officials.

The large and still growing fire forced a number of area schools to close Friday, due to the mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation warnings that remain in effect; but district officials have said school will likely continue on Monday.

All Gateway Unified School District campuses are closed today, with no classes scheduled for the following schools:

  • Buckeye School of the Arts
  • Central Valley High School
  • Gateway Educational Options
  • Grand Oaks Elementary School
  • Mountain Lakes High School
  • Shasta Lake School.

Shasta College’s main campus in Redding also remained closed today, after the campus was evacuated Thursday.

Officials have been left scrambling amidst ongoing evacuations and constantly updating fire conditions throughout the Tierra Oaks community and surrounding areas. Joyce Murphy photo

Cal Fire has said that damage inspection teams have started assessments, which are ongoing.

“Residents within evacuation warnings should be prepared to leave if fire activity increases,” they advised.

SEE RELATED: Mandatory evacuation orders, Code Red notifications continue as Fawn Fire explodes to 1,200 acres

30-year-old Alexandra Souverneva, of Palo Alto, seen here in a jail booking photo from a recent Oregon arrest, remains in custody on charges of arson to wildland during a state of emergency.

A Cal Fire release this morning showed the fire’s overnight spread, with the outer pink shaded area showing the blaze’s growth from the prior day, which is indicated by the lighter pink mass in the center of the image. The yellow shaded area indicates areas affected by the still-growing fire.

CURRENT EVACUATION ORDERS:

  • All of Holiday Road south of Old Oregon Trail
  • Tierra Oaks and the surrounding area
  • All roads north of Old Oregon Trail at Akrich north to Pine Grove and east of Interstate 5
  • All roads east of Dry Creek along Elk Trail east, north to Shasta Lake, and back down Dry Creek.
  • All roads off of Old Oregon Trail in both directions between Bear Mountain north to Interstate 5
  • All roads off of Bear Mountain in both directions between Dry Creek and Old Oregon Trail

CURRENT EVACUATION WARNINGS:

  • All roads on the west side of Interstate 5, west to the railroad tracks, and on the north side of Shasta Dam Boulevard north to Old Oregon Trail.
  • All roads west of Interstate 5 to Ashby between Pine Grove and Shasta Dam.
  • All roads west of Interstate 5 to the railroad tracks, south of Bass Dr to Old Oregon Trail.
  • All Areas North of State Road 299 299 between Old Oregon Trail and Dry Creek.
  • All roads east of Interstate 5 that are south of the Pit River Bridge to Admiral and east to the end of Radcliff
  • All roads north of Old Oregon Trail and Akrich to the city limits of Shasta Lake.
  • All roads north of State Highway 299 between Old Oregon Trail and Dry Creek.

EVACUATION CENTERS:

  • First Church of the Nazareen 2225 Bechelli Lane Redding, California 96002

ROAD CLOSURES:

  • All roads off Old Oregon Trail in both directions between Bear Mountain Road north to Interstate 5. All roads off Bear Mountain Road in both directions from Dry Creek Road and Old Oregon Trail.


Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.