Court documents obtained by 2 News Nevada reveal new details about the suspect accused of starting the Fred Mountain Fire.
Firefighters initially responded to a report of a wildfire on Freds Mountain on August 9. When they got on scene, documents say they heard a woman calling out to them. They told her to stay where she was, but she kept climbing while asking for help and water.
The woman, identified as Christine Mitchell, told the firefighters that she had been on the mountain for 48-72 hours after running away.
She told them she was avoiding main roads to prevent being found by people she claimed were chasing her, saying she was being held against her will before running away.
According to the documents, she told the firefighters she started the fire to seek help, believing she wouldn't have survived otherwise.
Firefighters escorted her down the mountain, where they met with law enforcement and medical personnel.
During a search, deputies found a white substance consistent with crystal meth during a pat-down, which court docs say she consented to. She was then arrested for possession of a controlled substance and brought in for a formal interview.
During that interview, she said she had been living at a compound on Fred Mountain Road for over a month, where she had been working in exchange for staying in an RV.
She said she had become afraid during her last two nights at the compound due to the behavior and words of the people there but said she could not be sure if her feelings were accurate.
She is described by the Sheriff's Office in the documents as rambling, expressing unjustified fear for her safety, and speaking incoherently.
She also said she was surprised by how quickly the fire grew and said that was not her intention.
She marked on a map where she started two fires, according to the documents. She also repeatedly asked for witness protection.
She told deputies that she had been diagnosed with multiple personalities, bipolar disorder, and depression and was not currently taking medication for the conditions.
Law enforcement concluded based on statements made by Mitchell that she likely willfully and maliciously lit the fires.
She is currently being held on $80,000 bail on charges of possession of a controlled substance and third-degree arson.
She is due back in court on August 17 for arraignment.
