This article is the first in a series examining the initial response to the Caldor Fire August 14-17, 2021. At 6:50 p.m. on August 14, 2021, Travis Shane Smith called 911 from an ATV trail on the north side of Dogtown Creek to report seeing fire to the south. Four minutes later the information Shane … Continue reading Part One: Caldor Fire Response Call Logs Reveal Delays, Confusion

Documents obtained from a source close to the Caldor Fire investigation reveal DNA, which may belong to Travis Shane Smith, was found in the vicinity of what Special Agents are calling the "General Origin Area." The documents appear to be authored by the El Dorado County District Attorney's office as part of their motion to … Continue reading DNA Found in Caldor Investigation

Today, attorneys for David and Travis Shane Smith argued the bail set for their clients was excessively high. After hearing from the defense and county prosecutors, the judge was swayed and reduced the bail. In the motion to reduce bail, the judge agreed the defense made a compelling case. The Smiths' attorneys placed emphasis on … Continue reading The Smiths are Going Home

With the bail hearing in the case against David and Travis Smith only hours away, a witness in the immediate vicinity of the Caldor Fire's ignition is speaking out. In a phone call, this witness told me they saw David and Travis Smith on Forest Road 9N45 near Dogtown Creek moments before seeing flames. For … Continue reading Caldor Fire Witness: I Saw the Smiths That Day

In a previous post I covered the allegations against David and Travis Shane Smith as laid out in the charging document. One of those charges are alleged against Travis Shane only, and is related to what the DA claims is a an illegally-modified firearm. Here's a quick reminder of what that charge states: On or … Continue reading Caldor Fire Case: Should the defense be concerned about these videos?

On Thursday, December 9, the El Dorado County District Attorney released the official charges against the Smiths as alleged in the People of the State of California vs. Travis Shane Smith and David Scott Smith. Let's take a closer look at what the charges mean for the two men and what the allegations include (and … Continue reading The Caldor Fire Gun Charges

On the eve of their arraignment, friends of David and Travis Smith are speaking out. One source, interviewed on the condition of anonymity, stated in the decades they have known the Smith family, they have never seen David nor Shane in any sort of legal trouble. "They are good, hard-working people. David has a son … Continue reading Eve of Caldor Fire Arraignment: Smiths’ Friends Speak Out

(EDIT) Since publishing this piece I have learned that the Smith's hired their attorney in August. From my Twitter post: Attorney for the Smith's, @reichellaw, confirms to @nytimes that Travis and David's phones and homes were searched in August. It was then that they hired Reichel. “My clients and I have literally just sat and … Continue reading The First Caldor Fire Arrests