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40 WINES&VINES January 2018 T here is little to add to the reporting about the firestorm that struck Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma wine country Oct. 8, 2017. It was unlike any other disaster to hit California. Within a few hours, 21 separate fires started, whipped by 50- to 70-mile-per-hour winds that increased in velocity as the conflagration quickly grew. From CalFire we learned that the Tubbs Fire burned more than 5,300 structures, making it California's most destruc- tive wildfire ever. The 1991 Oakland Hills fire is a distant second at 2,900 structures lost. Three additional fires started that night are among the 20 most destructive blazes in California history: the Nuns Fire (No. 6), Atlas Fire (No. 10) and Redwood Valley Complex (No. 16). It's human nature to think, "Well, that was a close call," and then go back to whatever we were doing before the event. I live in Napa County, so I bought and wore an R-95 particulate- rated gas mask for more than a week. Breathing through it produced Darth Vader like sounds, but it was critical to endur- ing the smoky air. As I write this, a few weeks have passed, the skies are clear, and I have no idea where that mask is. We know better We know that the days following events like these are the perfect time to assess our own disaster preparedness and plans. Your business may have had a formal written disaster plan that was an- nually updated, and your employees may have been properly trained on what to do in an emergency. Or your "plan" may have consisted of telling new hires, "Dude, there's a fire extin- guisher around here somewhere. I got it at a flea market a while ago. If there's a fire, you should try to find it and use it." If your business was located in the fire zone, when you and your crew locked up the winery and went home Oct. 8, your disaster planning was tested, regard- less of whether or not you had a good plan. What can we learn from those who were close to the fire? How were they prepared? What did they learn that was unexpected? How would they do things differently next time? I interviewed three people who were right up against the flames and share their thoughts below. Early warning and good insurance Ernie Weir is the owner and winemaker of Hagafen Cellars, located on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. He has been producing wine since 1980, with production currently at 8,000 cases. To say his winery barely escaped the Atlas Fire would be an understatement: In the winery courtyard stands an olive tree burned on its northern half and intact on the southern side. He believes he lost nearly 2 acres of his 12 planted vineyard acres, noting that the full extent of damage will only become fully clear with the next growing season. Weir explained that the winery has a disaster plan in place, noting that the first rule is "go outside." Hagafen maintains a defensible border around buildings, keeps a current list of inventory items, and he plans to video these items. The winery was fortunate that two employees were onsite when the fires started, and they contacted Weir immediately, before power and cell service failed. An unexpected event for Weir (and for every- one living through the fires) was the lack of access to communications due to the loss of electrical power, combined with nearly all cell phone towers burning down. Obtaining the most basic emergency information became impossible, as did communications to and from first responders, employees and anyone else who could assist. Weir advises others to be proactive about their insurance coverage. Weir has worked with Sander, Jacobs, Cassayre Insurance Services in Napa for many years. He relies on them to make certain his insur- ance needs are being fully met at the most competi- ANDY STARR Winemaking How to Prepare for the Next Disaster