Overview
- Napa County prosecutors filed a felony charge for recklessly causing a fire against Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil, and included a special allegation that the blaze caused more than $6 million in losses.
- Charging documents say Marfil admitted to Cal Fire investigators that he disposed hot ashes into a burn pile, which prosecutors say ignited the Pickett Fire.
- The Pickett Fire began on Aug. 21, 2025, burned roughly 6,800 acres over 17 days, destroyed a home and outbuildings, and forced thousands to evacuate.
- Multiple winemakers have filed civil suits against Hundred Acre/Woodbridge over smoke taint and crop losses while at least one large group reached a separate settlement; the DA’s criminal case is proceeding independently of those civil claims.
- County officials estimated tens of millions in agricultural damage from the blaze, mainly from smoke taint to winegrapes, and Marfil is due for arraignment on Sept. 9 in Napa County Superior Court.