A man who worked as a gardener at a prestigious California winery is accused of igniting a wildfire that caused millions of dollars\u2019 worth of damage and tens of millions\u2019 worth of agricultural losses in Napa County.<\/p>\n
The blaze, dubbed the Pickett fire<\/a>, started near Calistoga last August and burned 6,800 acres over the course of 17 days, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.<\/p>\n Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil, 45, of Napa, was charged Thursday with one felony count of recklessly causing a fire of a structure or forest, the Napa County district attorney\u2019s office said in a statement. The offense caused more than $6 million in losses, prosecutors allege.<\/p>\n According to charging documents, Marfil admitted to Cal Fire law enforcement \u201cthe disposing of hot ashes into a burn pile,\u201d which allegedly ultimately sparked the blaze.<\/p>\n An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9, according to prosecutors.<\/p>\n Sam Singer, a spokesperson for Hundred Acre Wines, said Marfil was working as a contracted gardener when the fire broke out. He was carried over as a worker from Kelly Fleming Wines, which owned the vineyard property at 2339 Pickett Road before Hundred Acre acquired it in 2024, Singer said. <\/p>\n The fire started in the 2300 block of Pickett Road and destroyed five structures, according to Cal Fire. Four were outbuildings and one was a residential structure, according to the charging documents.<\/p>\n