Fire Resources
Research Project on Effects of Smoke from Wildland Fires
The Lake County Winegrape Commission (LCWC) has initiated a collaborative research project with key industry partners to further the understanding of effects of smoke from wildland fires on grapes and wines in an effort to provide actionable insights. This research project comprises regional sampling, data gathering, weather- and fire-related GIS modeling, and sensory analysis.
Project partners include Lake County Winegrape Commission, UC Davis, UC Cooperative Extension, ETS Laboratories, the Australian Wine Research Institute, Western Weather Group, Lake County Air Quality Management District, and individual winegrape growers and vintners.
Winegrape growers and vintners interested in assisting with this research project can submit sample results to LCWC by completing a form and submitting it along with a copy of the analysis from a certified lab.
Download the Wildland Fire Smoke Impact On Winegrapes form
For questions, contact LCWC President Debra Sommerfield at: (707) 279-2633
Fire and Disaster Assistance Forms and Materials
Fire Recovery Guide from the office of Congressman Mike Thompson (PDF)
CDFA Wildfire Recovery Resources
CalOES Wildfire Recovery Resources
FEMA Individual Disaster Assistance
USDA programs & contact information related to the Mendocino Complex fires
USDA disaster assistance fact sheet
Disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration (SBA)
SBA fact sheet on disaster loans
Press Releases & Related Articles
Grape Growers Look to Offset Losses From Smoke
January 30, 2019. A winegrape-growing region wracked by wildfires wants to learn more about the impact smoke has on grapes, while growers look to crop insurance and disaster relief to offset some of their losses. Read More
Lake County Winegrape Growers Focus Post-Fire Relief Efforts On Research
November 15, 2018. With an increase in the number and duration of large wildfires, the California wine industry is working together to explore ways to combat the effect of smoke exposure and fire damage on winegrapes and wine. Industry leaders in Lake County, a region that has experienced multiple devastating wildfires in recent years, are leveraging data gathered in the most recent wildfire as a means to find solutions that will help wineries and grape growers minimize the impact from these natural disasters. Read More
Lake County Wine Industry Status Update: Limited Impact of the Mendocino Complex Fire to the Wine Region
August 16, 2018. Since August 2, 2018, the active fire perimeter of the Mendocino Complex Fires shifted into remote forest wildlands around 15 to 30 miles north of Lake County vineyards. Additionally, as of Wednesday, August 8, 2018, thousands of residents were able to return to their homes as evacuation orders lifted for most Lake County towns. Lake County winegrape growers are glad to see people back in their homes and back to work, striving for normalcy on all accounts. Read More
Mendocino Complex Fire Status Report: Impact to Lake County Wine Industry
August 2, 2018. According to CALFIRE, as of Thursday morning, containment for the Mendocino Complex Fire reached 39 percent. The complex includes two wildland fires, which both began the afternoon of July 27, 2018, in Mendocino County and moved into Lake County. Lake County winegrape growers are committed to the highest quality fruit. At this time, only a few growing areas are just beginning to experience veraison. Growers in the impacted area are proactively monitoring the status of their vines and will be testing their fruit over the coming days. Read More
Erosion Control Assistance from VIP
Vineyard Industry Products, an LCWC Affiliate Sponsor, reached out with a generous donation of straw wattles to assist winegrape growers with erosion control before the coming rainy season. We greatly appreciate their support.
Aerial Imagery Assistance from TerrAvion
TerrAvion, an aerial imagery company that works with winegrape growers across California, Washington, Oregon, and Chile has reached out to help those Lake County winegrape growers affected by the fire. TerrAvion is offering to image impacted vineyards and fields at no charge in order to better assess the overall extent of damage. The imaging will be done once conditions allow and the images will be delivered to each participating grower (via desktop, iPad, or even into a GIS system). The images include Natural Color, Color Infra-red, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), Thermal and Oblique (45-degree downward-facing natural color) layers. Growers will need to provide a .shp or .kml file outlining the area, or TerrAvion can help draw the specific blocks in their system.
