A 30-year-old woman from Palo Alto, California was arrested Thursday on suspicion that she was responsible for starting the Fawn wildfire, which has quickly consumed more than 1,200 acres including two square miles of trees on steep landscape, KRON San Jose reports.
Alexandra Souverneva was seen wandering around a quarry close to the epicenter of the fire prior to the fire starting Wednesday. Workers at the quarry said the woman was trespassing and “acting irrationally.” Later that day, Souverneva walked through the fireline to fire fighters, saying she was tired and dehydrated. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.
According to a LinkedIn listing for “Alexandra Souverneva” near San Francisco, she is a tutor who had done Ph.D.-level studies at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry.
CalFire law enforcement officers interviewed Souverneva and determined she was responsible for the start of the fire. After receiving medical treatment, she was booked and is being held at Shasta County Jail.