This article is Part Two of my series examining how forest management in previous years impacted the earliest days of the Caldor Fire. Part Two explores forest services modeling which accurately predicted extreme fire behavior across the Grizzly Flats region. It's December 2014 and the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) service is working to select a … Continue reading The Caldor Fire and the Impact of Forest Management – Part Two: Models Predicted Extreme Fire Behavior for El Dorado County

It's August 14, 2021. At Leoni Meadows Camp and Retreat Center visitors are well into their evening activities. Eric Henton, an employee of the camp, is supervising the children when his radio crackles to life. "We have E-Alert but we are out of service out there so we keep the radios on. When it came … Continue reading Camp Staff Prepared for Caldor Fire with ‘Unhinged’ Chief Matthews, Absent Forest Service

Yesterday, the Pioneer Fire Protection District Board of Directors held a special meeting regarding the status of Chief Mark Matthews' employment. After the closed-door session, which is standard protocol for personnel discussions, it was announced that Matthews is "out on medical leave and will not be returning." The chief's contract is due to expire at … Continue reading Matthews Out due to Health, Ransdell In?

Photo Credit: ABC10 In November, 2021 I began working on a big-picture look at the Caldor Fire. I wanted to understand how the fire started and how the forest service responded. I wanted an inside look at who was doing what, when, and where during those first crucial hours following ignition in the Dogtown Creek … Continue reading My Interview with Mark Matthews on Palominas, Caldor Fire

This article is Part One of my series examining how forest management in previous years impacted the earliest days of the Caldor Fire. Part One explores what the Trestle Forest Health Project was and why it was needed. It is early 2013 and Kathryn Hardy, Forest Supervisor of Eldorado National Forest, is preparing a letter … Continue reading The Caldor Fire and the Impact of Forest Management – Part One: The Trestle Project Aims to Reduce Wildfire Risk to El Dorado County

"I have the GPS coordinates of roughly where it is." The time is 6:52 p.m. on August 14, 2021. Travis (Shane) Smith is connected to Camino dispatch after calling 911 to report a fire in the Dogtown Creek area of the Eldorado National Forest. With poor reception and heavy background noise the agent is having … Continue reading GPS Data, 911 Call Reveal Smiths’ Movements at Start of Caldor Fire

At the March 14, 2019 board meeting for the Pioneer Fire Protection District, firefighter Kane Gardiner spoke of suspected illegal behavior at the hands of Chief Mark Matthews. In his speech Gardiner claims that "all personnel" in the fire district suspect Matthews of recording conversations among staff members since the very beginning of Matthews' tenure. … Continue reading Pioneer Firefighter Demanded Investigation into Chief Matthews Over Claims of Illegal Spying

Image Credit: ABC10 In July, 2017 Officer John Monroe of the Cochise County Sheriff's Office filed a report detailing his investigation into complaints made against then-Palominas Fire Chief Mark Matthews. I obtained a copy of the report and interviewed witnesses associated with the report's content. Matthews was the first to arrive on scene to the … Continue reading Sheriff’s Report: Firefighters’ Suspicion Prompted Investigation into Fire Chief Mark Matthews