Running tally of damage from Glass Fire in Napa, Sonoma counties

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m.: 66,840 acres burned, damage to 270 properties

Among the damage and destruction Cal Fire reported Tuesday morning, Napa County’s number of destroyed commercial operations has climbed to 321. Sonoma County’s remained at a dozen, according to the state fire agency’s damage inspection team.

The number of commercial properties sustaining damage increased by nine to 31, while its neighboring jurisdiction to the west remained at eight operations.

With winds that have subsided within a more cooperative weather pattern for firefighters, Safari West reopened Monday after shutting down for a week, it announced on an email bulletin that evening.

The Sonoma County animal park on Porter Creek Road closed as a precaution, CEO Keo Hornbostel told the Business Journal Tuesday.

Hornbostel explained that even the fire stayed at least three miles away from the park “as the crow flies,” the poor air quality and annoying road closures such as Mark West Springs Road led park officials to that decision on Sept. 28. At the time, the San Francisco Bay Area experienced some of the worst air quality ever recorded.

Hornbostel noted the animals weren’t spooked by the fires but did appear more “lethargic” than usual, perhaps as an innate calling to not exert themselves.

“This seems like common sense. Animals are pretty amazing,” he said.

With 65,580 acres burned in the Glass Fire incident, the tally of commercial structures damaged includes 20 and eight in Napa and Sonoma counties, respectively. Those buildings destroyed involve 304 in Napa County and a dozen in its neighboring Sonoma jurisdiction to the west, Cal Fire reported results from its damage inspection team.

The total number of structures destroyed, which also include residences, has reached 1,235. The count for those damaged comes in at 242.

No names of structures were provided. The Business Journal has compiled a list shown below.

Despite low humidity allowing the trio of Wine Country blazes that leveled neighborhoods and wineries as well as threatened the towns of St. Helena and Calistoga, fire officials expressed hope promising weather conditions over the next few days will help with their efforts.

Much of the focus has been along Highway 29 near Livermore Road near the Robert Louis Stephenson State Park along the Lake County border.

“We’re cautiously optimistic we’ll get a good grasp on this today,” said Cal Fire spokesman Dave Lauchner, a Sacramento City Fire captain helping out in the wildland fire command center.

Some evacuation orders have been lifted. Information regarding those still in affect may be viewed for Napa and Sonoma counties:

– Napa County Orders

– Sonoma County Orders

With 60,148 acres consumed and a total of just shy of 700 commercial and residential structures demolished or damaged, the Wine Country is not out of the woods from the Glass Fire incident’s further destruction.The collective trio of blazes stands at 6% by Friday midday.

Winds predicted that spawned a red flag warning didn’t bring on the grave danger as expected, according to officials during Cal Fire’s Friday morning briefing.

“We have a long ways to go. We have to keep our heads up,” Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said, while suggesting citizens check their alert warning systems.

Her call to action was echoed by Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Brunton, who declared the “velocity” didn’t have the impact as expected Thursday.

“(But) we’re expecting the winds to increase this evening,” he said Friday, reminding citizens of how those parallel valleys act like funnels in directing 20mph gusts.

Cal Fire’s plan of attack Friday involves the Highway 29 corridor. Promising to Brunton is the ability to fly any of the 22 choppers assigned to assist the 30 hand crews within 2,517 personnel on the scene, along with 361 engines, 49 water tenders and 83 bulldozers.

The Glass Fire incident erupted around Angwin, Howell Mountain and Deer Park on Sunday before roaring into the Napa Valley floor by Monday, taking with it main structures, outbuildings, vines and infrastructure from a collection of world-renowned wineries.

They are alphabetized as follows:

– Behrens Family Winery

– Burgess Cellars

– Cain Vineyards & Winery

– Castello di Amorosa

– Chateau Boswell Winery

– Fairwinds Estate Winery

– Hourglass Winery

– Ledson Winery

– Mondavi Family Estate

– Newton Vineyards

– Sherwin Family Winery

– Spring Mountain Vineyards

– Tofanelli Family Vineyards

– Westwood Estate Wines

Sources: North Bay Business Journal, Press Democrat, Sonoma Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle

Editor’s Note: The portion of this story above has been changed to remove St. Francis Winery from this list. The winery’s social media and marketing manager stated, “We did not experience any damage that would hinder us from reopening for business at the earliest date allowed.”

Thursday, Oct. 1, 12:15 p.m.: Cal Fire expects destruction count to “absolutely” climb, especially in the midst of a red flag warning.

Mowing down 56,781 acres, the Glass Fire incident has demolished 248 commercial and residential structures as well as damaged 144 more, the state fire agency reported.

The trio of Glass, Shady and Boysen fires combined is only 5% contained, as the low humidity allowed the collective blaze to steadily burn overnight Wednesday. The concern lies on Thursday when gusty, northwest winds are predicted to increase.

Cal Fire’s damage inspection team is undergoing the laborious assessment of on-the-ground reporting, a task sure to last possibly weeks, according to Capt. Robert Foxworthy. The crew of 30 Cal Fire assessors reported on Thursday that one and five commercial buildings in Sonoma and Napa counties were destroyed, respectively. The count for those damaged is four each for the region dotted by world-class wineries.

More than 2,100 fire personnel are on the scene, making up 23 crews and assisted by 22 helicopters, 295 engines, 81 bulldozers and 37 water tenders.

Thursday, Oct. 1, 11:30 a.m.: ‘Big blow’ but won’t skip a beat, says Fairwinds winery co-owner

Fairwinds Estate Winery co-owner Brandon Chaney told the Napa Valley Register that the tasting room at 4550 Silverado Trail on the east side of the valley and the roof to a main building with bottling room and tanks are gone.

“We lost our bottling line,” Chaney told the newspaper. “We also lost our brand new optical sorter that was delivered from France two week ago. The only silver lining is that we have a 22,000 square-foot wine cave. We suspect that everything is safe inside.”

The winery's stock was protected by being in a cave, he told the newspaper.

“What’s great about Napa is the community pulls together to support each other,” he said.

His next steps include getting access to the site “so we can assess the full damage and test any wines that need to be tested. And start the rebuilding process ASAP. Even though this is a big blow, we will not skip a beat. We plan to come back bigger and stronger.”

Thursday, Oct. 1, 11:24 a.m.: ‘With heavy hearts’ winery group reports damage to Sherwin Family Vineyards, Spring Mountain Vineyard and Newton Vineyard

On its Facebook page, the Spring Mountain District Association, an appellation established 1992 outside St. Helena, stated its assessment goes on but "with heavy hearts" it reported several wineries had suffered significant damage in the fires:

Sherwin Family Vineyards, the home of the Patriotic pour has been burned to the ground. Both Steve, Linda, Matt and Lindsey Sherwin along with their team are all safe, the post stated.

Newton Vineyard has been significantly impacted by the fire. All facilities will be closed until further notice as they assess the damage. Everyone was evacuated and are safe.

Spring Mountain Vineyard: The vineyard manager’s home on the property was destroyed, and the vineyard itself experienced serious damage, stated the post. Two other buildings, including an 1873 La Perla winery, were also lost. The main winery and the historic Miravelle Mansion were spared. All are safe.

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 12:40 p.m.: Cal Fire aims to gain ground on the fire

With 48,440 acres consumed, the Glass Fire incident remains at 2% containment as of midday Wednesday, Cal Fire reported. The state fire agency’s damage inspection team counted two commercial buildings destroyed in Napa County as a result of its team’s assessment. The structure names were not identified in a list of 43 residential, commercial and outlying buildings demolished and 18 damaged.

Heavy dead and down fuels are hindering the maintenance of the fire line. But with high winds expected Thursday, crews hope to make as much progress as possible, Cal Fire reports.

Wednesday, Sept. 30, 11:15 a.m.: Details on damage to Sterling Vineyards and Newton Vineyard

Newton Vineyard has confirmed to the Business Journal it sustained extensive damage from the Glass Fire, and that it will rebuild.

“It is with heavy hearts that we inform you all that the Newton Estate winery and vineyards have been significantly impacted by the recent (fire),” general manager Jean-Baptiste Rivail said in a statement. “All facilities will be closed as we assess the damage, until further notice.”

Not all has been lost, however.

“Our storage facility has not been affected, so all bottled vintages remain intact,” Rivail said. “Newton Vineyard is a gem of the Moet Hennessy Estates & Wines portfolio, and Moet Hennessy intends to do whatever it takes to rebuild this truly special place.”

All employees were safely evacuated, and “we are actively providing immediate around-the-clock support and assistance for them now and over the coming months,” he added.

The fire also impacted Sterling Vineyards, according to a spokesperson from Treasury Wine Estates, which owns the property.

“There has been much speculation and reports on the damage to our winery but, thankfully, we can confirm that our beautiful Sterling Vineyards is still standing and our beloved tram is still intact,” said Atina Alkhas, corporate communications manager, Americas, Treasury Wine Estates.

She noted the property was not unscathed.

“We won’t know the full extent of the damage until we’re authorized to access the winery and it’s safe to do so,” Alkhas said. “Sterling remains closed to visitors for the safety of our employees and guests.”

All employees are safe and being looked after, she said.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 5:45 p.m.: Details on damage to Castello di Amorosa, Burgess Cellars and Meadowood Napa Valley. Napa County official: Valley losses could have been much worse.

“At least the castle was saved,” Dario Sattui told the Business Journal Tuesday, adding the fire came to within 150 yards from his Napa home.

Sattui, who retains full ownership in Castello di Amorosa “Castle of Love” and a stake in the fully intact V. Sattui Winery farther south, was awakened at 3:45 a.m. Monday morning by neighbors.

“I thought: ‘No way can it jump the Napa River, and it did. Then, I thought: It can’t jump the highway. And I was wrong,” he said in painful surrender.

He lost 15,000 square feet in warehouse space filled with 3,000 cases of wine, a laboratory, all offices and vintage wine in an auxiliary building. It was a heart breaker.

“We were just unlucky and will have to rebuild. We’ve gone through COVID. This has been a horrible year for us.”

His was not the only winery owner to suffer. Though Napa County Supervisor Diane Dillon says less than two dozen wineries suffered. Burgess Cellars’ owners had owned the facility less than two weeks before it was devastated in the Napa Valley.

And the iconic Meadowood Napa Valley reported at least the loss of its restaurant but its owners vowing to carry on.

Through it all, the fight and might remains. Firefighters working around the clock and yanked from one inferno to the next are having to put up a good front in sometimes insurmountable conditions.

The heat is still on. But at least the wind subsided Tuesday as the state’s fire agency tries to get a handle on this fast-moving blaze, which, at that point, had destroyed 80 residences and damaged 32 in Napa and Sonoma counties.

As of Tuesday’s midday briefing, Cal Fire officials indicated a top priority lies on the east side of Calistoga in a region called the Palisades, where the steep terrain tests the will of firefighters. They are holding a hard line west of Calistoga Road and protecting the habitat and infrastructure along Highway 29. The landscape is home to idyllic houses and renowned wineries responsible for some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. V. Sattui Winery’s Preston Vineyard Cab is but one of them.

With more than 1,400 personnel on the Wine Country trio of fires referred to as an “incident,” Cal Fire has deployed a damage inspection team of 30 dividing up in teams of two to assess the fire zone. The full extent of the commercial damage is unknown at this time, especially while the fire has no containment and still threatens more than 10,000 structures. It originated at North Fork and Crystal Springs roads and remains under investigation.

Sugarloaf State Park has represented an area of concern among fire officials and where air support can be flown. Nonetheless, officials shared being pleased with a success at Trione-Annadel State Park. The two public lands flank Sonoma Valley, which is not out of the woods.

It could be a while before the devastation ends.

“We’re going to be in this over the next couple of weeks, which is my assessment,” Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said during the fire briefing. He need only relive the memory one of his jurisdiction’s worst disasters to refrain from being overly optimistic, as Oct. 8 comes into his peripheral vision. That day marks the start of the overwhelmingly devastating Tubbs Fire, which claimed 22 lives, destroyed more than 5,600 structures and racked up a $1.3 billion bill in losses.

Judd Wallenbrock, CEO of C. Mondavi & Family, told the Business Journal he’s grateful the company’s Charles Krug Winery dodged a bullet of sorts while being situated so close to the convergence of Highway 29 and Deer Park Road where the fire entered the valley.

“We’re very fortunate that our 150-acre estate is surrounded by vineyards, and those vineyards make a good fire break,” Wallenbrock said.

This doesn’t mean the wine chief hasn’t kept an eye on the landscape, the operations and the Mondavi staff.

“At least all the whites are in,” he said, referring to closing the harvest. “We’ve evacuated the area, the generators are running the power, and we’re not crushing,” he said.

Wallenbrock has been holing up in company offices near the airport in between trips to St. Helena as help arrives from the state.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Napa and Sonoma counties as a result of the Glass Fire incident, one of 24 major wildfires the state’s fire agency is battling.

Since 2020 started, Cal Fire has gone to bat on 8,100 wildfires that have consumed more than 3.9 million acres in California. Five of the largest wildfires in California history have occurred this year. The largest — the August Complex — is still burning in Lake and Mendocino counties, with a hard-fought 51% containment. The LNU Lightning Complex that ravaged east Napa and west Solano counties stands at almost full containment.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 11:45 a.m.: List of known winery damage so far

Wine industry officials were continuing to assess the damage from the Glass Fire, even as fire crews battled to contain the massive fire that began Sunday.

The following are wineries with damage, according to the San Francisco Chronicle:

• Hunnitcutt Wines sustains sustained damage to a house on its property, but the winery itself was safe while.
• Newton Vineyard sustained heavy damage.
• Out buildings at Sterling Vineyards were the extent of damage there.
• More-than-a-century-old barn and a home at Tofanelli Vineyard were damaged.
• Castello di Amorosa, Chateau Boswell, Fairwinds Estate Winery and Hourglass Winery all sustained heavy damage.

Monday, Sept. 28, 7:35 p.m.: Fire grows to 36,000 acres

The Glass Fire remains a constant threat to homes and businesses including world-class wineries, Cal Fire reported in its latest Monday evening update. The wind-fanned, fast-moving trio of blazes that originated Sunday night roared over the Deer Park area early on and into Napa and Sonoma valleys, consuming 36, 236 acres. No containment is in sight. The blazing threesome of wildland fires is under investigation.

Monday, 5:45 p.m.: Fire burns Calistoga Ranch and Meadowood Napa Valley resorts, Chateau Boswell and ‘Castle’ wineries

Napa County continued in the grips of the Glass Fire incident with evacuation orders and/or watches through the northern Napa Valley, sending some to evacuation centers.

As officials continue to battle the blaze, its impact on the wine and hospitality mecca is offering some hints that have emerged in the media, which suggest the damage done by the fast-moving fires.

Calistoga Ranch has been lost to the Glass Fire, SF Gate reported at 4 p.m.

"At this time, we know the resort has been extensively damaged by the fire," Calistoga Ranch spokesperson Jessica Rothschild told the outlet. "We are working closely with Cal Fire to assess the full extent of the damage and will continue to monitor the situation closely."

All hotel staff and guests were safely evacuated on Sunday after the fire erupted, according to the report. Calistoga Ranch opened in spring 2004 and was part of the Auberge Resorts Collection.

Meadowood Napa Valley has reportedly suffered extensive damage, according to multiple posts on Facebook and Twitter. Social media featured a dramatic photo of the restaurant, grill and pro shop burning. The Business Journal is working to independently confirm the status of the property.

Meadowood posted a brief message today on its website, stating it was instructed by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office to temporarily close, and that it is not currently accepting future reservations.

Elsewhere, the Napa Valley Register reported that photos from inside the fire zone show some structures burning, including Chateau Boswell winery, a scenic winery on Silverado Trail south of Calistoga.

Several major wineries were in the fire’s path. Castillo di Amorosa lost its farmhouse, containing the company's bottled wine, but the "castle" was not damaged, vice president Jim Sullivan told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The AP also moved photos of the Glass Mountain Inn, a bed and breakfast on Silverado Trail, fully consumed by flames.

Longtime travel agent Susan Rada is all too familiar with adapting to disaster. After overcoming 9/11, bringing the travel world to a standstill, she’s now enduring year after year of wildfire knocking on the door while COVID-19 lurks.

Monday morning at 4:30 it was the Glass Fire incident that came calling at her Deer Park home, sending the 51-year travel veteran to her St. Helena Travel Center office. Thankfully the house was spared, but she can’t say that about many of her neighboring residents and businesses.

“We’ve lost a bunch of wineries, and now it’s down in the valley. This can’t be good,” she said.

There’s a certain surrender and resilience that goes with living and working in a fire-prone area — especially in a day and age of a global pandemic.

“What can you do but plan for a comeback? I’m not ready to retire yet,” she said. “We’re hanging in here.”

—Cheryl Sarfaty and Susan Wood contributed reporting.

Monday, Sept. 28, 10 a.m.: Fire grows to 11,000 acres overnight

With the ongoing threat of the Glass Incident encompassing three fires in Napa and Sonoma counties — Glass, Shady and Boysen — a red flag warning has been issued for Monday as emerging heat and strong, gusty offshore winds may make a dangerous recipe worsening blazes.

Low humidity and tinder box dry fuels add to the troubling conditions associated with the 11,000-plus-acre wildland blaze located at North Fork and Crystal Springs roads, Cal Fire reported Monday morning.

The fire, which has no containment as of 10:30 a.m., has already consumed the Chateau Boswell Winery situated off the Silverado Trail in St. Helena, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The full extent of damage is unknown. The Napa Valley Register reported that’s in the same area where firefighters held off flames at Rombauer winery on Sunday. The AP also moved photos of the Glass Mountain Inn, a bed & breakfast on Silverado Trail, fully consumed by flames.

About a mile down the road from the winery, the Chronicle also reported the Black Rock Inn was completely engulfed by fire, with “multiple structures” overtaken by flames.

With the addition of the Zogg Fire in Shasta County, the toll on California’s landscape continues to grind Cal Fire’s resources. As of Monday, more than 18,000 firefighters are battling 27 major wildfires up and down the state.

On Monday morning, in an interview with KTVU, Congressman Mike Thompson, D-Napa, said he had just returned to the county from Washington D.C., talking to the station as he was driving to his Napa office. He said his home is under an evacuation warning.

His wife “packed up and left, and we are trying to figure out what our plans might be.”

She also works at Adventist Health’s hospital in St. Helena. That hospital has been evacuated.

On its website, hospital President Steven Herber, M.D., stated the facility transferred its 55 patients to other hospital locations.

The emergency department is closed, and scheduled surgeries and tests are being postponed, according to the posting. The hospital’s Deer Park Pharmacy is also closed, and calls will be forwarded to another pharmacy to help patients with refills.

Other Adventist Health medical offices in St. Helena and Napa will remain open, according to announcement.

“The safety and well-being of our patients and associates are our highest priority,” Herber said.

This is the second time in a little over a month that the St. Helena hospital has been under mandatory evacuation. Cal Fire on Aug. 20 ordered the facility closed due to the LNU Lightning Complex fire in central Napa County. The hospital had 51 patients admitted at the time; some were able to be discharged, but most were moved to other facilities, a spokeswoman told the Business Journal at the time.

The hospital is directing any questions to (844) 523-3683.

"This is the seventh year of fire. We have had for the last seven years our share of natural disasters," the congressman stated.

—Susan Wood and Cheryl Sarfaty contributed to this report.