Tried to boil water that had bear urine: Woman who's arrested over US wildfire

Agencies | Washington

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A woman has been arrested and charged with felony arson in connection to a wildfire in Northern California that has burned about 9,850 acres, destroying homes and prompting mandatory evacuations, officials said Friday.

The Fawn Fire started Wednesday afternoon in Shasta County and quickly spread. The woman, Alexandra Souverneva, 30, was arrested on Thursday, Cal Fire said in a press release.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by KPIX, Souverneva told authorities she was trying to boil water to drink while attempting to hike to Canada.

On Wednesday, several civilians contacted police to say a woman was in the area trespassing and acting "irrationally." Later that evening, Cal Fire encountered Souverneva when she walked out of the brush near where the fire had started. She approached firefighters and said she was dehydrated and in need of medical attention, the press release said.

She had a lighter in her pocket, Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie A. Bridgett said during a Friday press conference. Supernova was arrested at the scene and the DA said a preliminary investigation determined arson was the cause of the fire.

Supernova said she was hiking to Canada when she got thirsty. She allegedly found a puddle of water with bear urine in it, so she tried to filter it with a teabag, the criminal complaint said.