Napa Valley winery sued after worker allegedly sparked wildfire that caused $90 million in damages

The Pickett Fire ignited on August 21, 2025, at Hundred Acre’s property and burned approximately 6,800 acres.

Nearly a dozen wineries and grape growers in California’s Napa Valley have sued a luxury winery, its owner and a contractor over a wildfire that allegedly destroyed their 2025 grape harvests and caused around $90 million in losses.

Smoke from the wildfire allegedly contaminated grapes across the region. (Representational image/Unsplash)

According to a report by San Francisco Chronicle, the lawsuit, filed last week in Napa County Superior Court, names Hundred Acre Winery, its owner Jayson Woodbridge and independent contractor Juan Luis Gutierrez Marfil as defendants. The plaintiffs, who are seeking damages and a jury trial, include Robert Foley Vineyards, Jackson Family Wines and Neal Family Vineyards.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the lawsuit follows criminal charges filed against Marfil in August. He faces one felony count of recklessly causing a fire to a structure and forest.

Marfil has reportedly admitted to Cal Fire investigators that he disposed of “hot ashes into a burn pile, which caused the Pickett Fire”. He pleaded not guilty at his September arraignment.

The Pickett Fire ignited on August 21, 2025, at Hundred Acre’s property in Calistoga and burned approximately 6,800 acres. A preliminary Napa County assessment estimated at least $65 million in agricultural damage, affecting nearly 1,500 acres of farmland.

However, the lawsuit alleges that the damage extended beyond the land directly affected by the flames. Smoke from the wildfire allegedly contaminated grapes across the region, wiping out the 2025 harvest for several wineries and growers, particularly in the Howell Mountain wine region. The complaint states that smoke, which persisted for days after the fire was extinguished, caused significant financial losses and damaged the wineries’ brands and market share.

“Because (they) were prevented from releasing a 2025 vintage, consumers assume the winery is floundering or in decline,” the lawsuit states, adding that rebuilding their pre-fire reputation and market share could take years.

The complaint further alleges that Woodbridge directed workers to burn debris on the property ahead of a planned wedding. When an employee refused to ignite the pile, Woodbridge allegedly asked Marfil to do so. The contractor is accused of using hot ashes from a recently tempered fireplace to start the fire, despite Cal Fire having suspended residential burn permits because of weather conditions. The lawsuit also questions whether the wedding was permitted under Napa County regulations.

Hundred Acre, however, maintains that the gathering was a private party for staff and family on private property. Hundred Acre spokesperson Sam Singer disputed the allegations, saying that the plaintiffs had sustained little or no smoke damage to support their claims, as per The Independent.

The winery “categorically denies the allegations in the lawsuit”, Singer said, describing it as “an economic ploy from vintners who are struggling with the decline in demand and consumption”. He added that Hundred Acre would fight the case and would not pay claims it believes lack merit.

Neither Woodbridge nor Hundred Acre has faced criminal charges in connection with the fire. The case is ongoing.