Woman arrested after admitting to intentionally setting Fred Mountain Fire

Reno Firefighter's Association

By: KTNV Staff

Posted

WASHOE COUNTY (KTNV) — A woman was arrested after she allegedly admitted to intentionally setting the Fred Mountain Fire north of Reno, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office said in a social media post Tuesday.

The sheriff's office said Christine Mitchell, 47, is charged with arson after she left a residence in the 1300 block of Fred Mountain Road and started multiple fires in the area.

Shortly after the fire began, Mitchell flagged down responding crews and told them she intentionally started the fire, according to the sheriff's office.

“Starting another fire while crews were already committed to an active wildfire placed additional strain on emergency resources and unnecessarily threatened additional portions of our community," Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said. "We will continue to thoroughly investigate this incident and hold the individual responsible accountable."

The sheriff's office said anyone with information related to the incident or anyone who may have seen suspicious activity is encouraged to call law enforcement.

The arrest comes a day after Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency for areas of Washoe County and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony impacted by the Bug and Fred Mountain fires, which have burned more than 57,000 acres.

Thousands of homes in the area are threatened, forcing thousands to be evacuated. Thousands more are in evacuation warning zones. Officials said the fires were 0% contained as of Tuesday evening.

The governor's office said the emergency declaration will remain in effect through Aug. 17, but could be terminated sooner if conditions improve.