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U.S. NEWS Monday 23 october 2017

Unforgiving wildfires affect vineyard workers and owners

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER family has worked for a de-
OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ cade to rebuild the winery,
Associated Press which was eradicated dur-
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — ing Prohibition and turned
When the wildfires ignited, into a turkey farm.
vineyard workers stopped As fires came over ridge
picking grapes and fled after ridge above the wine
for their lives. Some vine- valleys, Manuel Contreras
yard owners decided to lingered for days at a So-
stay and fight back, spend- noma apartment complex
ing days digging firebreaks housing mostly migrant
and sleeping among their workers like him. He helped
vines for safety. neighbors pack belongings
As the danger drew closer, and find transportation and
grape pickers spread word shelters.
of the threat and helped “I want to be the last per-
neighbors pack their son out,” he said.
homes. The owner of an While he spoke, firefighters
elite golf resort abandoned and sheriff’s deputies went
his home to try to save his house to house and busi-
golf course. ness to business to warn
The deadliest and most de- people that the flames
structive wildfires in Califor- were expected to arrive
nia history imperiled both within hours. But, Contre-
the low-wage workers who Casie Giroux, who manages farm at the Scribe Winery, tends to the garden, Wednesday, Oct. 18, ras said, authorities never
harvest the nation’s most 2017, in Sonoma, Calif. Like many in the area, Giroux lived with friends after evacuating her home came to tell the Spanish-
valuable wine grapes and as a massive wildfire swept through the area last week. speaking workers.
the wealthy entrepreneurs (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) “We were waiting for them
who employ them. Vintners If anything, the fires seemed ery in Sonoma. “But the truth time across wine country, to come to tell us” it was fi-
were suddenly plunged to target the affluent, is people are completely and Jauregui “could see nally time to go, he said. The
into the same desperate blackening leafy suburban bootstrapping here” and the fire coming down the grape workers finally joined
struggle as their laborers, developments and hilltop worried about the effect of mountain.” the evacuation when they
with everyone fighting to estates more than the flat- the fires on their livelihood. At the Scribe Winery, the saw streams of cars racing
preserve the things most lands where many farm The harvest was winding winds disrupted a dinner out of town.
precious to them — fami- workers and middle-class down on Oct. 8 as Gonzalo among the vines, upending At Napa’s championship
lies, belongings and busi- families live. Jauregui worked an over- table settings. Diners who Silverado golf resort, former
nesses. Winery owners with mul- night grape-picking shift had hoped to linger over PGA master Johnny Miller
On the public beach camp- tiple houses will take vastly intended to protect work- their meals were driven in- climbed to the roof of the
grounds where hundreds different roads to recovery ers and the fruit from the side. white-pillared country club
of evacuees escaped the than the grape pickers who heat of the day. Around Kelly Mariani, one of the with a garden hose to save
flames, the affluent slept lost the only rental home 10 p.m., a gale blew into family members there, re- the clubhouse himself. He
alongside migrant workers they could hope to afford. the vineyard outside of So- called the ominous rattle of taped other hoses to the
and combed through do- But for a short time, fire was noma with a strength that rattlesnakes in dry grass as rails of balconies to spray
nated supplies. the great leveler in a region the 45-year-old had never the wind rose. water down on embers.
“We had people in Mer- where the wealthiest 1 per- seen before. By midnight, flames had In one of the mansions near
cedes and Lexuses showing cent of people makes 20 “We saw the power lines burned a neighbor’s home the course was Tim Wall,
up” with soot on their faces times more than the rest. bouncing against each and were creeping down whose businesses include
after losing everything, said Everybody thinks the winery other and trees losing their an oak ridge toward the Rug Doctor carpet-clean-
Patty Ginochio, a volunteer owners are “rich guys and branches and sparks fly- winery buildings and family ing and the golf resort. He
who helped feed, house rich families, and they’re ing,” Jauregui recalled. homes. made sure his family and
and clothe evacuees. Even above everything,” said The grape harvesters ran to “There were hurricane animals were safe and left
some of the well-off “had Adam Mariani, a fourth- their cars. winds. The house was rat- his home to its fate. Then
nothing but the clothes on generation farmer whose Dozens of other blazes tling. The dog was barking,” he fought to save the golf
their back. It’s humbling.” family runs the Scribe Win- were erupting at the same said Adam Mariani, whose course.q