A Napa winemaker watches his grapes burn to the ground. Here’s what’s left to save

Pacific Distillery in the Napa Valley is facing harsh and unforgiving fire conditions. The distillery is still alive, and the owner, Kevin Boone, is sifting through what’s left to salvage his most precious mementos for future fire-focused documentaries.

The devastating fire that ravaged parts of Northern California over the weekend has left behind smoke-filled skies, burnt crops, and charred crops to the pain of farmers and winemakers like Mr. Boone, who watched all of his prized grapes go up in smoke. Farmers told reporters that the ferocity of the flames made it harder for them to keep their eyes on the bush and livestock in the field, making it harder to spot suspicious flames that could become a firestorm.

“There’s no rhyme or reason to these fires,” Mr. Boone said in a radio interview. “There’s no other fire that has knocked on our door like this one. This blaze, as it burns through the adjacent areas, it expands and enchants the air and stokes the fire into a firestorm. It’s like all of us have a little honeycomb in our backyard, and that’s how we see it. It’s growing and eventually it’s going to burn the whole place.”

“Wildfires are our housekeeping. Every year we have to refurbish and renew,” he added. “Every year the house burns down, we redo the whole thing.”

[Photo: Pacific Distillery]

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