Presbyterian Church Camp Faces Sherpa Fire Lawsuits
Two More Complaints Filed Last Week
The Presbyterian camp and conference center at Rancho La Scherpa, located near the top of Refugio Road, is now facing three lawsuits related to the Sherpa Fire, which started on 6/15/15, and burned 7,474 acres and destroyed a state-owned water facility. Eric Hvolboll of nearby Rancho La Paloma sued last year for agricultural losses and injuries sustained while inspecting his burned acreage. That case is ongoing. Losses were also reported by El Capitan Ranch, which sued on 6/14, the day after a complaint was filed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, suing to recover suppression and investigation costs. The multiagency effort to extinguish the blaze reportedly topped $16 million. A resident of the ranch is blamed for accidentally starting the wildfire by dropping hot embers on the ground while moving a smoky fireplace log outside to hose it down.
