ALERT: California- Severe Fires in Wine Country (October 10, 2017)

October 10, 2017

California’s “Wine Country” regions of Napa and Sonoma have suffered severe forest fires beginning on Sunday, with some areas forced to evacuate. At the time of this writing, at least 10 people have died.

The New York Times reports:

Fast-moving wildfires raged across Northern California on Monday, killing at least 10 people, sending well over 100 to hospitals, forcing up to 20,000 to evacuate and destroying more than 1,500 buildings in one of the most destructive fire emergencies in the state’s history.

Firefighters were battling blazes in eight counties, officials said.

The fires raged through the hills that are home to some of the country’s most prized vineyards. The main north-south highway that connects San Francisco to the northernmost parts of California was closed Monday as fire engulfed both sides of the freeway. Santa Rosa is a hub for tours into wine country, and at least two large hotels that cater to the wine tourism trade were destroyed by the fires.

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that many of the vineyards popular with tourists suffered fire damage:

Of the hundreds of wineries in the region, nearly all were forced to close Monday, and a handful of wineries were burned to the ground, such as Signorello Estate in Napa and Paradise Ridge in Santa Rosa. Others, including Continuum Estate on Napa’s Pritchard Hill and Cliff Lede Vineyards in Yountville, remained untouched, but were being vigilantly watched as fires surged closer and closer.

Some historic properties were lost. White Rock Vineyards, whose Soda Canyon area winery was first established in 1870, was completely gone, a staff member confirmed. And some historic vineyards, especially in Sonoma Valley — irreplaceable old vines dating back to the 19th century, in some cases — were feared singed.

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