Victims of the McKinney Fire that destroyed homes and killed four people in Siskiyou County have sued the Oregon-based utility company providing power in far Northern California, claiming PacifiCorp powerlines sparked the fire.

While fire investigators with the United States Forest Service remain tight lipped about what caused the blaze, the lawsuit argues power equipment is to blame. The fire ignited July 29 at a time of dangerous fire weather in a rural area by McKinney Creek near Klamath River, an unincorporated community on Highway 96 in Siskiyou County.

Tom Gauntt, a spokesperson for PacifiCorp, declined to answer questions about the McKinney Fire and said the lawsuit prevented the company from discussing the matter.

PacifiCorp, which operates as Pacific Power in California, filed a report with the California Public Utilities Commission six days after the fire started, alerting regulators that its equipment was in the area of a fire. The company did not report any problems with its equipment to state regulators. Drew Hanson, another spokesman for PacifiCorp, told the Chronicle on Aug. 3 that “we are not aware of any equipment being collected for an investigation related to the McKinney Fire.”

Attorney Gerald Singleton said his firm’s investigator reported that overhead power lines were the only human infrastructure in the remote forested area where the fire started — no roads, structures or campsites. His San Diego-based firm, Singleton Schreiber, is representing about 25 property owners with losses from the fire.

“There’s nothing anyone has seen that would lead us to believe that the McKinney Fire started with anything other than power lines,” Singleton said.

A 911 caller reported the first flames of the McKinney Fire just before 2:15 p.m. on July 29. Emergency dispatch audio from some of the first fire units on scene describe the early flames. “About a quarter acre …. right now putting water on it … it is underneath the power line right-of-way,” a firefighter reported over the radio at about 2:30 p.m.

Singleton said his firm’s investigator was informed that the Forest Service collected power equipment from the origin site as evidence. He said they will request access to inspect the equipment in the course of civil litigation proceedings.

Adrienne Freeman, a spokesperson for the Forest Service, said the agency’s investigators were still determining how the fire started and were working with assistance from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office. Freeman declined to say whether any power equipment had been collected as potential evidence.

The lawsuit alleges PacifiCorp was negligent in its maintenance, operation and inspection of its power lines and names another 2020 wildfire in California that spurred a lawsuit blaming PacifiCorp for the destruction: the Slater Fire that burned 157,229 acres and killed two people in the Klamath National Forest. The cause of that fire is still under investigation. PacifiCorp did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Slater Fire.

The McKinney Fire has burned 60,392 acres and is 95% contained. The blaze destroyed at least 196 structures. Those killed include longtime U.S. Forest Service fire lookout Kathy Shoopman.

Julie Johnson (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @juliejohnson

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A Bitter Slice: A Double Murder With Unanswered Questions…

The Enterprise and the South San Francisco Journal reported that around 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, a certain Todor Kiprof found two men – Peter Giorgi and Spiro Gioref – at the German and French Bakery on Grand Avenue near Linden Avenue shot and mortally wounded May 1908.

As is all too common, the cause of the crime, in this case a double homicide, was money.

The bakery had been there for a while but was sold to Giorgi at the beginning of April. Much of the money to open the bakery came from Kiprof, although there had been other investors. Kiprof was frustrated that no money was coming back to him and demanded a full settlement from Giorgi. Giorgi basically told him to walk away, probably because he’s only owned the bakery for a very short time. Kiprof then threatened in front of Gioref (the driver of the bakery’s delivery truck) to kill Giorgi. According to The Enterprise, Giorgi and Gioref “laughed at Kiprof and told him that the company lost money since (Giorgi) took it over”.

Kiprof got angry, pulled out an automatic pistol and started shooting at the two men.

The shots, amid a peaceful spring afternoon, quickly drew a crowd, and they found Giorgi still alive but “writhing on the ground.” The quickest route to a hospital was via the van owned by Charles Young, a plumber. Giorgi died in hospital later that night.

Gioref only appeared wounded when he was able to escape from the bakery and run down the street, calling for the police. He made it to a nearby post office before collapsing. He was taken to the same hospital and was lucid enough to testify to District Attorney JJ Bullock, who had been subpoenaed by the coroner. After issuing a full statement detailing the shooting, Gioref also died. Kiprof had walked down Grand Avenue, surrendered his gun, and quickly surrendered.

With eyewitness testimony very soon after the event and Gioref’s detailed testimony, I was surprised to find only a brief continuation in the September 12, 1908 Enterprise, which states: “The trial of Todor Kiprof, who is charged with the Murder of Spiro Giorgi in this city last May 11th is scheduled for next Tuesday in Redwood City. Kiprof was recently charged and acquitted in the murder of Peter Giorgi.”

Why Kiprof was acquitted in what appeared to be a fairly open case involving the murder of Giorgi is beyond me. And I could not find any information about the outcome of the Gioref trial. If one or more readers have more details on the outcome of this case and the fate of Kiprof, please leave them in the comments below!

There was an interesting side note to the whole story, however, and The Enterprise reported on a possibly unrelated murder: Stoyan Steff, one of the eyewitnesses to the aftermath of the shooting (and perhaps also an investor in the bakery), was stabbed to death in July 1908 . He should take a stand in Kiprof’s first trial. But Steff issued a deathbed statement saying he did not recognize his attacker.

The post Weblog: 1908 bakery bloodshed sparked by cash dispute appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

AMERICAN CANYON (CBS SF / KPIX) – Napa County authorities said Monday night a burning, stolen car may have ignited fast-moving vegetation in the American Canyon. The police arrested the driver.

The so-called Newell Fire burned east of Newell Drive, north of American Canyon Road near two local schools.

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The fire was first reported around 6:30 p.m. and quickly grew to 150 acres. At around 10 p.m., Cal Fire said that progress had stopped and that the fire was 50% contained. The fire brigade watched the gusts of wind throughout the night.

According to Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz, a 26-year-old suspect is on remand. He was found burned on his body in the hills next to the burning car that had been driven off the road.

“When the officers responded to the fire and arrived on site, they found a burning car where a car shouldn’t be in a stream area,” said Sheriff Ortiz.

He also confirms that the car was stolen from Vallejo.

Napa County Sheriff Oscar Ortiz told us tonight that his deputies found a burning car near the source of the fire. The driver of the car was also burned. Sheriff says it was a stolen car. #NewellFire

– Andrea Nakano (@AndreaKPIX) October 12, 2021

At around 8:35 p.m., Cal Fire confirmed that the fire had stopped from progressing to approximately 150 acres. The evacuation warning was lifted.

#NewellFire – UPDATE – Fire is approximately 150 acres and is 50% contained. Forward progress has stopped. When driving in the area, be careful and avoid emergency vehicles.
# CALFIRE # CALFIRELNU

– CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) October 12, 2021

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Cal Fire is investigating the possibility that the burning car started the fire. Local residents watched the flames spread rapidly on a hill just across from their homes.

“Everyone was kind of nervous,” said local resident Rob Sloan. “We live down the street, this is the family home here and we came to be with everyone until the evacuation order was lifted.”

The evacuation warning was issued at around 7 p.m. to residents east of Broadway / Highway 29. American Canyon Road has been closed because of the fire, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

#NewellFire – CAL FIRE The Sonoma Lake Napa unit responds to a vegetation fire near the 4000 block of Newell Dr, Greenwood Ranch. When traveling in the area, please be careful and give emergency vehicles right of way. # CALFIRE # CALFIRELNU pic.twitter.com/RZJWZyvSZ4

– CAL FIRE LNU (@CALFIRELNU) October 12, 2021

The smoke from the fire could be observed for miles. Residents up to Berkeley and Oakland reported smelling the smoke.

Travelers in the area were advised to exercise caution. Contra Costa Fire and other Bay Area fire departments provided mutual assistance to prevent the fire from spiraling out of control under the terms of the Red Flag warning.

#NewellFire in #AmericanCanyon

: Emma Trotter pic.twitter.com/XSpsjj1dpt

– Steve Trotter (@sirtrotsalots) October 12, 2021

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Andrea Nakano contributed to this report.

The post Burning, Stolen Automotive Could Have Sparked Newell Fireplace In Napa County; Driver Arrested – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.