Fawn Fire 50% contained as firefighters prepare for shift in weather

The Fawn Fire is 50% contained but hundreds of homes near Redding are still considered at risk, Cal Fire said Monday morning.

The blaze, which started last Wednesday and was determined as arson, is now 8,559 acres (13 square miles), Cal Fire’s Shasta unit said in a morning incident report.

The fire has destroyed 155 structures, including dozens of homes, with most of the damage coming during an intense run late last week. Cal Fire in an 8 a.m. update said damage inspections have been completed.

Several evacuation orders were downgraded over the weekend to warnings, including for the Tierra Oaks subdivision in the northeast corner of Redding, as conditions improved. Evacuations remain mandatory for areas north of Bear Mountain Road and east of Interstate 5, up through Shasta Lake.

Cal Fire reported that the Fawn Fire was burning with “moderate to low intensity” as of Monday morning. More than 2,300 structures remain threatened and more than 2,000 firefighters are assigned to the fire.

Three firefighters were injured battling the Fawn Fire, Cal Fire said, but no further details on those injuries were available. No civilian injuries have been reported.

A weather system was expected to bring rain near Redding but could also produce wind gusts up to 35 mph, according to the National Weather Service and Cal

Fire’s Monday morning incident summary.

Cal Fire said winds were expected to push to the north and east, which would drive the fire mainly toward Shasta Lake and away from Redding.

Rain should clear out by Tuesday but gusts close to 20 mph may continue, forecasts show.

Cal Fire law enforcement arrested a 30-year-old Palo Alto woman, Alexandra Souverneva, on suspicion of arson in connection with the fire.

Prosecutors filed felony charges against Souverneva for arson and committing arson during a state of emergency, Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett announced in a Friday news conference. Bridgett said those charges carry a maximum of nine years in prison.

Bridgett also said Souverneva may face additional charges, as the investigation is ongoing and the fire is still burning.

Souverneva as of Monday morning was still in custody at the Shasta County jail, with bail set at $175,000, jail records show.