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News
Ten dead and wineries destroyed as wildfires ravage California wine country
A series of wild fires raged through the wine country of Sonoma County, Napa Valley and Mendocino County on Monday morning, killing 10 people and destroying an estimated 1,500 homes and businesses, including several wineries and damaging others.
Mount Veeder. Photo: Jackson Family Wines
Parts of the city of Santa Rosa, including a Hilton hotel, were levelled by the blaze. The fires, which suddenly flared up during the night and were swept by high winds, were most damaging in the Atlas Peak-Stag’s Leap area near Yountville, in Sonoma County between Kenwood and Santa Rosa and in the mountains north and west of Calistoga.
Among the wineries said to be destroyed were Signerello and White Rock in Napa Valley, Chateau St. Jean, Nicolson Ranch, Paradise Ridge and B.R. Cohn in Sonoma and Frey in Mendocino.
“As of now, we do not have any verifiable information regarding vineyard acreage or winery buildings burned,” Patsy McGaughy of Napa Valley Vintners reported Monday evening.
Map of the fires currently raging in California.
“Currently we are in safety mode to get our families and homes secured,” said Barbara Cox of Sonoma County Vintners. “We are piecing together information as we receive updates and are focused on reaching out to everyone to make sure they are all safe”.
Power was out in most of the affected areas, and many roads were closed, making communications difficult. Darioush, James Cole and William Hill wineries were at first said to be destroyed in early accounts, but the estates later reported their wineries remain intact, although they suffered property damage.
In a statement released today, Treasury Wine, whose brands include Beringer, Chateau St. Jean, Stags’ Leap and Sterling Vineyards, said there is “limited damage” to its infrastructures and sites.
It continued: “TWE’s focus is on ensuring all of our employees are safe and we are not sending people in harm’s way. The local fire crews and authorities are doing their best to work on containing the fires”.
While reporting that damaged was limited, the company also stated that “the fires are ongoing and we still have limited access to all our different assets. The majority of our vineyards and wineries are not presently in the direct fire zones”.
TWE did not comment on local reports that one of its wineries, Chateau St. Jean, is said to have been destroyed in the fires. The company owns and operates around 3,750 planted hectares of vineyards in the US.
Most, but not all, of the 2017 vintage has been harvested, but those grapes that were not will mostly likely be affected by smoke taint. Heavy smoke was reported in San Francisco, about 60 miles to the southwest.
Many people were woken in the early hours to fires bearing down on their homes, including those in heavily forested, mountainous areas serviced only by narrow roads. Most were able to escape in the dawn hours to hastily designated evacuation centres, often leaving all their possessions behind.
At least two hospitals in Santa Rosa were hastily evacuated as was the Silverado Resort near Napa. Of the dead, seven were in Sonoma, two in Napa and one in Mendocino.
Online reaction
Before & after. Signorello Vineyards in Napa #napafire #calfires #winecountry pic.twitter.com/EMdn64nz3z
— Suzanne Espinosa (@suzyesp) October 9, 2017
Freaky day….hope everyone is okay in the valley. 10 minutes from my house in St. Helena. pic.twitter.com/VCQWTg6GkV
— James Suckling (@JamesSuckling) October 10, 2017
Scary pics of fires along Siverado Trail & beyond in Napa, Sonoma & pts north. Wineries threatened. Wishing all vvv best of luck pic.twitter.com/2J1P1uSRxK
— Jancis Robinson (@JancisRobinson) October 9, 2017
Sounds bad and the affects are going to be felt for many years to come. Sad to lose some historic buildings too.
James Cole was not destroyed. All the main buildings and homes are fine. Heroic efforts by the family and friends saved nearly everything.
Did the Meritage spa and winery survive this horrific fire my partner enjoyed a lovely stay there. Such a beautiful part of the country my thoughts are with all those that are affected by the fire.
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These fires are unfortunate and the loss of life is devastating. However, there will be a silver lining in about a decade or so when the industry recognizes that it is fortunate that: 1 these fires happened in the new world; and 2, by them happening in the new world, they have ultimately made way for new installations, infrastructure and innovative technology to be created in the ever changing field of oenology.
What can we say about a such disaster?
Unfortunately, loosing lifes it is what hurts. But also the sites, buildings and businesses, that represent tenacity, dreams and hard work produced by many generations.
FINALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE FUGHTING THE FIRES TO SAVE PEOPLE. THE FIREMEN.
GOD BLESS THEM ALL.
LET´S PRAY,