[tfm]

Well, you'll need water, which generally finds itself at lower ground ....

Are folks not taught stuff about lighting smokey fires to attract attention, or would there have been local factors that prevented it in this case?

[xofer]

One article[1] at least suggests that she wasn't able to start a fire.

  She had also tried to make fires using the matches and 
  lighters she kept in her backpack. There was a stream 
  near her camp, but it's unclear whether she was able to 
  find any food.

[1]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/05/2...

[curtis]

She was set up near a stream. And it sounds like maybe she tried to start a fire but was unable to.