Updated

Updated · KCRA Sacramento · Aug 8

Gann Fire Reopens All Zones as Crews Reach 54% Containment After 10,374 Acres Burn

Updated

Updated · KCRA Sacramento · Aug 8

Gann Fire Reopens All Zones as Crews Reach 54% Containment After 10,374 Acres Burn

Q: Did a tragic choice to stay behind and save her beloved German Shepherds cost a local breeder her life in the Gann Fire?

It appears likely, but it has not been officially confirmed. Authorities have confirmed that Susan Solari, a longtime German shepherd breeder, was found dead inside a burned home on Jaquima Drive after the Gann Fire swept through the area. Friends and neighbors identified her and said she operated Hinterland German Shepherds. The key evidence behind the belief that she stayed is from neighbors, not investigators. A longtime neighbor told KCRA that she was on the phone with Solari as flames closed in and that Solari refused to evacuate because she would not leave her dogs behind. The neighbor said Solari was behind a locked gate and “wasn’t going to leave them” because she could not get the dogs out. Another report similarly said friends believed she may have stayed with puppies on the property. That account fits Solari’s background. Friends described her as deeply devoted to her animals and active for decades in breeding and showing German shepherds. But no fire official has publicly issued a final determination that her death resulted from a deliberate decision to remain for the dogs. So the best-supported answer is that neighbors strongly believe Solari died after choosing to stay with her beloved German shepherds as the fire arrived, but that remains an informed account from those close to her rather than a formally established finding by authorities.

3 articles · Updated · KCRA Sacramento · Aug 8

All Gann Fire zones reopened Saturday morning, letting residents return to assess damage after the Calaveras County blaze killed 1 person, destroyed 22 structures and forced hundreds to evacuate.
Cal Fire said the fire showed minimal overnight activity and reached 54% containment at 8 a.m. after burning 10,374 acres, though hot, dry conditions still threaten flare-ups.
2,676 personnel remain assigned to the fire, down from more than 3,100, while officials warned returning residents that ash, debris and other hidden hazards may make damaged properties unsafe.
Herbert Wayne Smith was arrested Monday on charges of recklessly causing the fire; he told KCRA he accidentally ignited it while using a saw to cut scrap for money.