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Matthews’ Associates Recall Years of Deadly Cancer Diagnoses
On February 2nd, 2022 the Pioneer Fire District Board of Directors announced that Chief Mark Matthews is “out on medical leave and will not be returning.” This is the second time in his career Matthews… Read more
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First Report of Caldori Fire: Travis Shane Smith’s 911 Call
EDIT: A portion of the 911 call has been edited to redact personal information. At approximately 6:49 p.m. on August 14 2021, Travis Shane Smith calls 911 to report seeing a wildfire. He is connected… Read more
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The Caldor Fire and the Impact of Forest Management – Part Two: Models Predicted Extreme Fire Behavior for El Dorado County
It’s December 2014 and the Eldorado National Forest (ENF) service is working to select a plan to thin and treat over 20,000 acres of woodland. Two years earlier the ENF determined forest to the southeast… Read more
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Camp Staff Prepared for Caldor Fire with ‘Unhinged’ Chief Matthews, Absent Forest Service
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.… Read more
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Matthews Out due to Health, Ransdell In?
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… Read more
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My Interview with Mark Matthews on Palominas, Caldor Fire
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… Read more
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The Caldor Fire and the Impact of Forest Management – Part One: The Trestle Project Aims to Reduce Wildfire Risk to El Dorado County
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… Read more
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GPS Data, 911 Call Reveal Smiths’ Movements at Start of Caldor Fire
“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… Read more
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Pioneer Firefighter Demanded Investigation into Chief Matthews Over Claims of Illegal Spying
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… Read more
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Sheriff’s Report: Firefighters’ Suspicion Prompted Investigation into Fire Chief Mark Matthews
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… Read more
Welcome to my Blog (formerly The Jericho Report)
I have a knack for investigations and enjoy writing detailed and revealing reports. Most recently I’ve dug into political scandals in northern Ohio as well as the cause of the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, California. Occasionally I also write about travel, personal growth, political opinions and, of course, communications consulting. Enjoy.
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