NAPA COUNTY — Authorities suspect arson in a vehicle fire that engaged agencies in from two counties in response. The incident occurred in the area of the Napa/Lake county line on Morgan Valley Road. Ultimately, jurisdiction fell on Napa County.
Response was requested at approximately 7:09 p.m. following a report of a man, with a history of mental illness, threatening suicide via fire. The man also allegedly threatened to harm other occupants of the cabin he was in on Old Knoxville Road.
According to dispatch, a woman calling from a location in Clearlake, reported Dwayne Stroop, 38, set fire to a motor home outside of the cabin and threatened to kill himself by going to into it. She said she last saw Stroop entering the motor home with smoke billowing from it.
Emergency responders experienced difficulty in locating the residence. Lake County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Willie Sapeta was in the area first. He established a staging site at the entrance of Homestake Mine and later changed the location to the county line after determining that the incident fell within Napa jurisdiction.
Lake County Sheriff”s Department continued its response after jurisdiction was identified per the request of Napa County Sheriff, which advised its units were more than an hour and half away.
Napa County Fire responded from its Spanish Flat station. Lake County fire units were released from the scene at approximately 8:01 p.m. At 8:04 p.m., sheriff officials advised that they located the resident and that there was a burnt motor home in the yard with embers still glowing.
No injuries were reported in the incident. Napa and Lake County public information officers were unavailable Thursday to confirm any arrests. Napa County Fire is treating the investigation as possible arson.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
