Cal Fire is investigating whether the 6,800-acre Pickett Fire was caused by an outdoor fireplace at Hundred Acre Wines in Calistoga during preparations for an upcoming wedding. Weddings have been banned at wineries in Napa since 1990.

As the Chronicle reports, Sam Singer, a spokesperson for Hundred Acre Wines, confirmed in a statement Friday that the smoldering ashes produced by a fire in the venue’s new outdoor fireplace could have sparked the Pickett Fire. However, Singer claimed that the event that was scheduled to take place at Hundred Acre, which ultimately moved to a venue in St. Helena after the wildfire began, was merely a “family gathering.”

Alas, per the Chronicle, social media posts of the said “family gathering” on the property of the former Kelham Vineyards featured the bride, Emilyn Smith — daughter of Hundred Acre’s first employee, Burges Smith — walking down the aisle. Comments from friends congratulate the newlyweds on the “beautiful wedding.”  The Chronicle writes that around 85 guests attended the wedding, which was hosted pro bono by former Kelham co-owner, Hamilton Nicholsen.

The Chronicle notes that Napa County implemented the Winery Definition Ordinance in 1990, which forbids wineries from hosting non-wine-related social and cultural events, but plenty of wineries ignore the rule.

Jayson Woodbridge, the founder of Hundred Acre, has a history of flouting regulations, as the Chronicle writes. The Napa County District Attorney’s Office alleged he was producing wine without a permit in 2006, filing a criminal charge against him, which was dropped. In recent years, Woodbridge has been embroiled in various legal battles with the county, including a code violation case in 2022.

“I’m not afraid to speak up,” Woodbridge told the Chronicle at the time. “We shouldn’t have to be told by the county what we do with our private land.”

As the Patch reports, Cal Fire is investigating several potential causes of the Pickett Fire in addition to the ashes from Hundred Acre Wines. The outlet writes that the Pickett fire has caused $65 million in damage, which has mainly impacted wine grapes and beehives, according to Napa County Agricultural Commissioner Trace Cleveland.

As the Weather Channel reports, the fire was at 65% containment on Sunday night, with very limited damage and no reported injuries or death, thanks to the huge amount of firefighters sent to battle the blaze. The Weather Channel writes that a total of 176 engines, nine helicopters, and 35 bulldozers have been deployed, along with 2,064 personnel.

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