The Glass wildfire is torching wine country in Napa, leaving multiple vineyard operations completely destroyed.
The fire had torn through roughly 66 square miles and damaged more than 248 structures by this weekend. Tens of thousands of people in Napa and Sonoma counties have fled their homes, CBS MoneyWatch reported.
Napa wineries were already struggling with difficult business conditions in a year when coronavirus has cut back on sales.
Winery owners told CBS MoneyWatch that the fire destroyed this year’s harvest and most of their winemaking facilities.
“Nothing remains except a single portion of our 11,000 square-foot cave,” Chateau Boswell ambassador at large Jacquelynn Prevost said. “It is utter devastation.”
This weekend could prove even more destructive for wine country. Forecasts predicted a return of high winds and hot weather, according to Reuters.
More than 2,500 firefighters are working to beat back the Glass Fire. On Friday, fire crews were using water-dropping helicopters to try to dampen the flames.
The fire started in the town of Calistoga. It is home to famous hot springs as well as wineries and restaurants.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated the fire is only 5% contained. An additional 52,000 residents are under evacuation orders this weekend.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has blamed the fires on decades of bad forest management, citing dry leaves and logs on the forest floor as a major problem.
Approximately 30 people have died since August in the explosion of wildfires across Western U.S. states. The fires have incinerated nearly 6,100 square miles of land.
