Wildfires burning across Northern California have killed at least 10 people, injured about 100 and destroyed more than a thousand buildings, authorities said.
Some of the wildfires’ largest blazes burned over California’s Napa and Sonoma counties, which are home to hundreds of wineries that attract tourists worldwide. Several wineries affected by wildfires were completely destroyed, according to local news reports.
SFGate reports that wineries like Napa’s Signorello Estate and Santa Rosa’s Paradise Ridge burned to the ground. The historic White Rock Vineyards, established in 1870, was destroyed, while other vineyards in the Sonoma Valley were feared burned. Buildings at Stags’ Leap Winery, located in Napa Valley, burned as well.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited local reports, the Frey Vineyards Winery and Oster Wine Cellars in Mendocino burned down.
Most wineries in the area closed Monday, and winery owners are keeping close watch of their properties. The fall harvest marks a busy time for wineries, and SFGate reports that most of the grapes for this year’s harvest are in tanks and barrels.
