Several fast-moving wildfires have ravaged Northern California’s wine country, destroying properties and crops, triggering widespread evacuations and prompting California’s governor to declare a state of emergency….
Several fast-moving wildfires have ravaged Northern California’s wine country, destroying properties and crops, triggering widespread evacuations and prompting California’s governor to declare a state of emergency.
More than a dozen blazes have erupted in the northern half of the state, officials said, leaving hundreds of homes and other structures damaged or destroyed as the state’s dreaded fire season kicks into high gear, with little relief in sight.
Some of the worst of the wildfires have struck in the heart of wine country: At least three separate fires in Napa and Sonoma counties were burning across more than 50,000 acres as of Monday afternoon, leaving behind charred homes, vineyards and winery buildings.
Cal Fire said the Atlas Fire, south of Napa County’s Lake Berryessa, had spread across 25,000 acres. The Tubbs Fire, which began in Napa before spreading into neighbouring Sonoma County, also covered 25,000 acres, the agency said. The smaller Nuns Fire, in Sonoma, was at 5,000 acres by about midday, officials said.
California wildfires obliterate almost everything in state’s rural areas
Across Northern California, the fires have destroyed at least 1,500 homes, businesses and other buildings and forced an estimated 20,000 people to evacuate in eight counties, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Jonathan Cox said. None of the fires have been contained, he added.
Overnight, firefighters were dealing with 30-50mph winds and explosive fire growth. Winds have reduced Monday but “because of heat and low humidity, fire growth is still likely,” Cox said.
Napa and Sonoma counties form the epicentre of the American wine industry.
There are more than 100,000 acres of wine grapes in the two counties, which are home to more than 650 wineries, according to the Wine Institute, which represents the industry in the state.
The two counties produce about 13 per cent of all wine made in California, according to the trade association’s data; a much higher percentage of the most acclaimed and coveted US wines come from Napa and Sonoma.
The sector’s economic impact on California is immense. The Wine Institute estimates that the industry generates more than US$50 billion in economic activity in the state each year.
The industry also attracts millions of tourists each year – 23.6 million visits generating US$7.2 billion in tourist expenditures in 2015 alone.
