California wildfires force evacuations of thousands; Sonoma County wineries dodge bullet (2024)

A group of wildfires in California are scorching several areas, forcing evacuations of thousands from their homes and threatening the state's world-famous vineyards.

But on Tuesday the latest reports from firefighters were that injuries were minimal so far. And wine grape growers in northern California are breathing sighs of relief after one of the wildfires was 40% contained and appears to have missed the region's noted grape-growing lands.

The blaze, dubbed locally as the Point Fire, started Sunday and put wineries and residents in famous Healdsburg, California, on edge during the Father's Day holiday, said Lauren Fremont, executive director of Winegrowers of the Dry Creek Valley. But by Tuesday, no wineries had seen significant destruction and it felt like a "best case scenario," she told USA TODAY.

"We really got very lucky and spared for the most part," Fremont said.

The fire destroyed two structures and led to one injury, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and firefighters had contained 40% of the blaze as of Tuesday.

Elsewhere in California, firefighters are battling many other wildfires, including a massive fire burning outside Los Angeles, prompting more than 1,000 people to evacuate.

The Sonoma-area fire was the latest of several in the past seven years to directly threaten the wine region. Weather and climate conditions mean the blazes will likely continue, said Corey Manning, who owns a winery located a quarter of a mile from the recent fire.

"It’s kind of a recurring trauma," said Manning, explaining how many winery owners, staff and first responders in the area come together to do post-traumatic counseling through a music therapy program founded by Rick Allen, the drummer for the rock ban Def Leppard.

High winds and dry conditions spurred blazes in southern California Tuesday, and in New Mexico, firefighters struggled to contain wildfires outside the small town of Ruidoso. Hundreds of structures in the area have been impacted by fire.

Wine country fires are impacting growers

The Dry Creek Valley in California's Sonoma County is known for its Zinfandel grapes, some of which grow on vines that are more than 100 years old, Fremont said. The area also produces exceptional Sauvignon Blanc, she said, and over 30 other types of wine.

Manning's winery, Chateau Diana, is known for its Chardonnay and Cabaret Sauvignon, he said.

"There's a lot at stake, there's the potential of losing our home again," said Manning, who lost his Santa Rosa home to a 2017 fire.

But people are more prepared and aware of reality than ever, he said. More growers are also planting grapes that can be harvested earlier in the season, before October, which is historically when the worst wildfires can erupt, he said. This year, Chateau Diana planted Sauvignon Blanc grapes set to harvested in early September because they wanted to "be done with them before the fire season starts."

"As more fires happen, people are looking at what grapes they're going to plant for the future," Manning said. "That's a long term impact in terms of decisions people are making for what they plant."

One winery on the mountain side of Dry Creek Valley did have minimal fire impact to its grapes, Fremont said, but it was a very small stretch of vine that was burned. The fact that it's so early in the season and the grapes are still young, green and hard contributed to wineries being spared from potentially worse damage, she said.

Wineries escape unscathed by Tuesday

Overall, first responders and Mother Nature's whims meant that a potential catastrophe was averted Sunday night and Monday, Fremont said.

Winds shifted Sunday night, she said, and firefighters were able to rapidly address the fire and prevent it from reaching wineries. In a worst case scenario, an entire crop of grapes − known as an annual vintage − could be destroyed by a fire, or smoke could negatively impact the taste of wine grapes, causing the wine produced to have what's known as smoke taint, Fremont said.

That has been avoided, she said, adding that the quick and heroic efforts of first responders saved the entire Dry Creek Valley from what could have easily become a major crisis.

Manning agreed: "They show up for us on our worst days," he said, referring to firefighters and other responders.

One firefighter was injured Monday, as emergency responders further contained the fire. By Tuesday, the fire - which is burning about 1,200 acres - was 40% contained, according to Cal Fire.

California wildfires force evacuations of thousands; Sonoma County wineries dodge bullet (2)

2 fires converge on Ruidoso

Two wildfires that began earlier this week on either side of Ruidoso, New Mexico, are converging on the village located on tribal lands in southern New Mexico, leading thousands to evacuate.

The fires are like a "pair of tongs," New Mexico Forestry Spokesperson George Ducker told CNN this week.

By early Monday evening, the flames damaged multiple structures, statesthe New Mexico Forestry Division, but how many remains unknown.

The Village of Ruidoso is demanding people leave immediately.

"Please do not try to gather belongings or protect your home - GO NOW," the Village of Ruidoso said in apost on X early Tuesday morning.

Wildfire outside Los Angeles burns 15k acres

The Post Fire burning outside Los Angeles is the largest active wildfire in California, burning an estimated 15,600 acres, according to Cal Fire. The next largest California fire, in Colusa County, is burning 10,000 acres.

The fire, which is burning in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, has been hard to control because the blaze is in steep, hard-to-reach areas, Cal Fire said. Weather conditions are also making the fire challenging to contain, officials said.

Winds are leading to heavy smoke that could hamper visibility for motorists on Interstate-5, officials warned, and critical infrastructure like power lines, dams, and oil pipelines are at risk from the wildfire.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Julia Gomez

California wildfires force evacuations of thousands; Sonoma County wineries dodge bullet (2024)

FAQs

How many wineries were destroyed in the California fires? ›

The California wildfires have devastated more than four million acres, of which the Glass Fire has scorched more than 67,000 acres, damaging and destroying structures at approximately 30 wineries in Northern California. Fairwinds Estate Winery.

What are the 3 biggest wildfires in California? ›

Largest wildfires in California history
  • Mendocino Complex. July 2018. 459k.
  • SCU Lightning Complex. August 2020. 397k.
  • Creek. September 2020. 380k.
  • Park. July 2024. 368k.
  • LNU Lightning Complex. August 2020. 363k.
  • North Complex. August 2020. 319k.
  • Thomas. December 2017. 282k.
  • Cedar. October 2003. 273k.
3 days ago

What was the largest fire in Sonoma County? ›

The Park Fire has become one of California's largest wildfires on record: A mere two days after starting near Chico, the blaze had burned more than 360,000 acres as of Sunday afternoon.

How do wildfires affect wine in California? ›

Between 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California wine grapes were left to wither on the vine in 2020 due to actual or perceived wildfire smoke exposure, said Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

Which is better Sonoma or Napa? ›

Napa might win on being more expensive, but Sonoma is certainly more expansive, spread out, and laid-back. (People often say Sonoma is “less commercialized” than Napa.) It's almost double the size of Napa, and grows far more grapes than Napa in a variety of conditions.

How many people died in the Sonoma fire? ›

The magnitude of the challenge was daunting: Sonoma County needed to rebuild after the October 2017 wildfires, which claimed the lives of 24 people and destroyed 5,300 homes in unincorporated areas of the county and its cities. But rebuilding alone was not enough.

Who started the wildfires in California? ›

The man arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze in Northern California by pushing a burning car into a gully made his first appearance in court Monday and was charged with felony arson of an inhabited structure or property. Ronnie Dean Stout was arrested at his home in Chico a day after the fire started.

What is the deadliest forest fire in California? ›

The fire began in the morning on Thursday, November 8, 2018 near Camp Creek Road and was contained on Sunday, November 25 after burning 153,336 acres (62,050 ha) and becoming the deadliest and most destructive wildfire and California's history.

When was the last fire in Sonoma County? ›

Emergencies and Disasters Since 2002
DATESEVENT NAMESCOPE
Sept 28 - Oct 5, 2020Glass Fire67K acres incl Napa
Aug 18 - Sept 8, 2020LNU Complex (Walbridge) Fires57,569 acres
Mar 1, 2020 - ∞COVID-19 Pandemic485K residents
Jan 7 - Feb 3, 2020JRT Encampment250+ residents
21 more rows

What is the name of the fire in Santa Rosa? ›

Five years ago, on Oct. 8, 2017, at 10 p.m., the Tubbs Fire erupted in a wildland area north of Calistoga, California. It took just a few hours for the fire to consume more than 20,000 acres, and to travel about 12 miles into densely populated neighborhoods in the town of Santa Rosa.

How big was the Napa fire? ›

Impact. The Glass Fire was fully contained on October 20, 2020, after burning over 67,484 acres and destroying 1,555 structures, including 308 homes and 343 commercial buildings in Napa County, as well as 334 homes in Sonoma County. No injuries or deaths were reported as a result of the fire.

What winery burned down in California? ›

The Glass Fire started in the early morning of Sept. 27 in Deer Park, east of St. Helena, near the Silverado Trail, the north-south artery of the eastern valley. It swept east, destroying the winery and barrel warehouse at Burgess Cellars and leveling the turreted stone building at Chateau Boswell.

Can a vineyard catch fire? ›

Coturri explains that vine canopy, unmowed grass between vineyard rows, and plastic drip irrigation systems are the biggest culprits in putting vineyards at risk of burning.

Why do they burn grape vines? ›

A tradition that originated in France, the Burning of the Vines marks the end of winter pruning and the start of budburst.

What wineries in Napa have been destroyed? ›

Burgess Cellars, Newton Vineyard, Signorello Estate and Roy Estate suffered tremendous losses after the fires. Still, after several years of planning, rebuilding and replanting, most are now ready to receive guests.

Is Stags Leap winery destroyed? ›

Contrary to some reports it was the nearby (and often mistaken for) Stags' Leap Winery that had several outbuildings burn to the ground and not Stag's Leap Wine Cellars where, for Notaro and his team, the fires mercifully stopped just short of the edge of the property and the two vineyards – Fay and SLV.

How does the Napa fire affect wine? ›

The reason: They feared their wines had been marred by smoke taint, a phenomenon in which ambient wildfire smoke can nestle inside grapes hanging on the vine, imparting unpleasantly smoky flavors that are difficult to remove from the resulting wine. At its worst, smoke taint can make a Cabernet taste like an ashtray.

What is the most destructive wildfire in California history? ›

The Camp Fire has killed 86 people and at one point left hundreds of people unaccounted for. Here's a look at other deadly wildfires in California history.

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