Member of Olympic fencing team loses new home in Clayton Fire
By Kurtis Alexander Updated 8:27 pm, Thursday, August 18, 2016
Matthew Porter (center), the armorer of the U.S. Olympic Fencing Team, lost his home in Lake County’s Clayton Fire.
It was the last thing anyone at the Rio Olympics would expect to hear after an exuberant string of medal wins: that a catastrophic wildfire was racing toward his home.
But that’s the unfortunate news Matthew Porter, armorer for the U.S. Olympics fencing team, received over the weekend from his wife. The couple live in Northern California’s fire-ravaged hills, and their house in Lower Lake was in the path of Lake County’s devastating Clayton Fire.
Porter’s wife, Karen, was forced to flee with only the clothes she was wearing, their two long-haired Chihuahuas, Tucker and Fidget, and a stray cat. All else was likely lost, she told her husband in an email and follow-up phone call to Rio de Janeiro.
“What a way to finish there,” Porter, 59, said in an interview with The Chronicle on Thursday, having returned to California early. “Not really what I wanted, but my active job had been over at that point.”
Porter’s responsibility at the Games was to take care of the weaponry for the 17 American fencers who walked away with two silver medals and two bronze medals.
After landing at San Francisco International Airport late Tuesday, Porter greeted his wife and rushed to Lower Lake, about 100 miles north of the city. Although their neighborhood was off-limits because the fire was still burning, a law-enforcement officer confirmed what the Porters suspected: There was nothing left.
The two bought their property east of Lower Lake’s historic downtown only three months ago, shortly before Porter left with the fencing team for Brazil. The couple had just finished moving their personal belongings as well as their online fencing supply business from Pacifica.
“We loved it there,” Porter said. “We had gotten things fixed the way we wanted. It took every last penny to do it.”
Making matters worse, the Porters, who bought their house in cash, hadn’t yet obtained fire insurance, they said. But on Thursday, as the couple drove to pick up their pets from friends in the Bay Area, they said by phone they were just happy that neither they nor the animals were hurt.
“My No. 1 concern was Karen, and whether she’d be able to get out,” Porter said. “That is the most important thing.”
The two plan to stay with a friend near Lake Berryessa while they figure out their future.
“I’m still in shock,” Karen Porter said. “It’s still hard to believe that everything’s gone.”
The Clayton Fire is believed to be the work of a 40-year-old man, who has been charged with a string of felonies and has been accused of being a serial arsonist. The blaze has destroyed an estimated 268 structures since it began Saturday, the last day the U.S. fencing team was competing in the Rio Olympics.
Among the fencing medalists was Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American woman to wear a hijab at the Games. She was part of the women’s saber team that won bronze.
As grim as Porter’s situation may be now, he said it doesn’t detract from the thrill of being among the fencing team’s dozen or so coaches and support staff. This is Porter’s third time at the Olympics.
“Matthew made sure our weapons were in absolutely top shape and was critical in making sure that we did not miss a single point due to our equipment,” said Greg Massialas, head coach of the U.S. Olympic men’s foil team, in a prepared statement. “It is a shame that after he spent so much of his time making sure Team USA had the opportunities for success, he lost everything.”
Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:
kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
How to help
Friends of the Porters have launched a fundraising campaign for the couple at
https://www.gofundme.com/2kg64t5p
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