Flaming Squirrel Blamed for Redding Wildfire
REDDING, Calif. - With Southern California fighting wind-driven flames and spot fires breaking out across Northern California, firefighters have fingered at least one arsonist: an unlucky squirrel.
Redding firefighters say the squirrel set off the blaze when it shorted out a power line, caught fire and dropped into dry vegetation. Battalion Chief Gerry Gray says it took 18 firefighters and six fire engines to fight the fire that started behind a Redding restaurant.
Fanned by strong winds, the fire grew to an acre and briefly threatened a home before it was contained Monday.
Redding Electric Utility spokesman Pat Keener says about 200 customers might have noticed their electricity flicker when the squirrel shorted out the high-voltage power line. But the incident did not cause a power outage.
