According to his own recounting, at approximately 10:40 p.m. on August 14, 2021, Mark Matthews comes upon the base of a 3-5 acre wildfire burning in the Cosumnes river drainage not far from the Dogtown Creek convergence. While he is the first to arrive at the scene, he and several firefighters have been searching for … Continue reading Matthews on tape: Is critical evidence in Caldor Fire case missing?
Caldor
EXCLUSIVE: Audio recording of Calfire, DA witness interview contradicts summary report used in Caldor Fire case against Smiths
Two days after the December 2021 arrests of David and Shane Smith, the two men accused by the El Dorado County District Attorney of recklessly starting the Caldor Fire, I received information from sources close to the investigation regarding a key witness. Michael Patrick, known to many locals as "Miner Mike," had been camping on … Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Audio recording of Calfire, DA witness interview contradicts summary report used in Caldor Fire case against Smiths
DA makes Caldor Fire theory official in preliminary hearings
El Dorado County Judge Vicki Ashworth will soon determine whether evidence against the two men accused of starting the Caldor Fire is strong enough to take the pair to trial. David Smith and son, Travis (Shane) Smith, stand accused of igniting the fire and have been out on bond since their arrest in December, 2021. They … Continue reading DA makes Caldor Fire theory official in preliminary hearings
DA to lay out evidence against father, son in Caldor Fire case
El Dorado County prosecutors are set to lay out their evidence against the father-son duo accused of starting the Caldor Fire, an historic wildfire that destroyed nearly an entire town and burned a quarter million acres of California forest. Postponed several times, the preliminary hearing is now scheduled for October 10, 2023, in the Placerville … Continue reading DA to lay out evidence against father, son in Caldor Fire case
New details in Caldor Fire case as trial looms
El Dorado County Superior Court, Placerville This article focuses on the impending trial of the People vs David and Shane Smith. If you are looking for my reports on the earliest days of the Caldor Fire, click here. 14 months after their arrest and following many delays, David and Travis (Shane) Smith will soon appear … Continue reading New details in Caldor Fire case as trial looms
Caldor Fire Witnesses Speak Out for the First Time: Part Three – Billy’s Story
Part One of this story introduced us to Travis Alvarez, who shared his story of meeting the Smiths moments after the Caldor Fire began. In Part Two we met Travis' girlfriend, Amanda Serum, who recounted her run in with an old friend named Andy who told her his father, Billy Freeman, started the fire. Her … Continue reading Caldor Fire Witnesses Speak Out for the First Time: Part Three – Billy’s Story
Caldor Fire Witnesses Speak Out for the First Time: Part Two – Amanda’s Story
Travis Alvarez and Amanda Serum were at their home working on their side-by-side ATV on August 14, 2021. In minutes, Travis would test his repairs by driving down Caldor Road where he would encounter David and Shane Smith. The Smiths, who stand accused of recklessly starting the Caldor Fire, were in the process of calling … Continue reading Caldor Fire Witnesses Speak Out for the First Time: Part Two – Amanda’s Story
Caldor Fire Witnesses Speak Out for the First Time: Part One – Travis’ Story
Early one evening in mid-August, Travis Alvarez and Amanda Serum were changing the oil in their side-by-side ATV. It was an ordinary day. Warm and breezy. The perfect day to fix up their ride and take it for a spin. They had no idea that, in just minutes, Travis would bear witness to the beginning … Continue reading Caldor Fire Witnesses Speak Out for the First Time: Part One – Travis’ Story
Caldor Fire: Mark Matthews, a 9mm, and the Case Against the Smiths
It was 6:49 pm on August 14, 2021 when Shane Smith called 911 to report a wildland fire off Caldor road near the Dogtown Creek drainage. Within days, Shane and his father, David Smith, would become the focus of investigators' attempts to determine how the fire started. David Smith is 66 years old and has … Continue reading Caldor Fire: Mark Matthews, a 9mm, and the Case Against the Smiths
The Caldor Fire: What We Know
It has been seven months since the Caldor Fire ignited in southern El Dorado County. The Jericho Report has uncovered hundreds of details and published nearly 50 reports on the cause of the fire, the emergency response, and the key players who fought the fire in those early days last August. Soon, we will be … Continue reading The Caldor Fire: What We Know
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