Overview
- Washoe County deputies arrested 47‑year‑old Christine Mitchell on Tuesday and charged her with third‑degree arson and possession of a controlled substance, with investigators saying they developed probable cause during their inquiry.
- Officials say Mitchell flagged down responding fire crews and told them she had intentionally started multiple fires near the 1300 block of Freds Mountain Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
- The Fred Mountain Fire merged with the Bug Fire to form a single incident that has burned more than 57,000 acres and remains about 4 percent contained, fire officials reported.
- The blaze has forced thousands of residents to evacuate, closed nine Washoe County schools, cut power to large areas and prompted a state of emergency declared by Gov. Joe Lombardo.
- Investigations and damage assessments are ongoing; the BLM has separately determined the Bug Fire was human‑caused and officials say additional charges or updates to containment and impacts may follow.