Napa winery contractor charged for igniting 2025 Pickett Fire causing $56 million loss

The Napa County District Attorney’s office charged Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil, a 45-year-old Napa resident who performed contracted work for Hundred Acre Winery, with a felony for recklessly causing a structure or forest fire. According to the complaint, Marfil admitted to Cal Fire officers that he disposed of hot ashes in a burn pile on August 21, 2025, sparking the Pickett Fire on Pickett Road in north Calistoga. The blaze consumed more than 6,800 acres, destroyed a residence, damaged several structures, and prompted evacuations, while gusty winds and triple-digit heat accelerated its spread.

Over 2,000 emergency responders battled the fire for 17 days, and Napa County later assessed $56 million in vineyard losses and an additional $1.7 million for other agriculture and structures. A preliminary survey indicated damage to over 3 percent of Napa Valley farmland. Hundred Acre Winery, owned by Jayson Woodbridge, clarified that Marfil was a contractor, not a direct employee, and said the district attorney found no basis to charge the winery itself. Marfil’s next court appearance is set for September 9.