A California woman who said she self-identifies as a “shaman” has been charged with igniting a wildfire that has destroyed hundreds of homes and structures and burned some 8,500 acres. The Redding Record Searchlight reports Alexandra Souverneva is now being investigated for a potential connection to other fires in California, per Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett. Souverneva, 30, told officials that while she had been hiking to Canada, she became thirsty and attempted to start a fire to boil some bear urine. The woman was unsuccessful in starting the fire but drank the urine anyway, and then “continued walking uphill from the creek bed,” when she noticed the smoke and called for help. Souverneva was asked to empty her pockets, which revealed a lighter, two CO2 cartridges, and an item “containing a green leafy substance she admitted to smoking that day.” She was subsequently arrested and taken to Shasta County Jail. Souverneva pleaded not guilty, to which the judge responded by increasing her bail from $100,000 to $150,000. The Fawn Fire was at 45 percent containment on Sunday night.
