JUDY WOODRUFF:
Firefighters say they are making some progress in fighting wildfires in Northern California. In total, the fires burned more than 220,000 acres, an area larger than New York City.
More than 5,700 buildings were destroyed. At least 41 people died, making it the deadliest wildfire in state history.
The wine industry and related tourism businesses are trying to take stock. More than $50 billion of California's economy comes from the wine business. For this reason, about 24 million people visit the region every year.
Special correspondent Joan Jennings reports from Napa County.
JOANNE JENNINGS, Special Correspondent:
The Mayacamas Mountain Range creates a natural barrier between Sonoma and Napa counties. And that's where the massive Nuns fire poses a major challenge to the roughly 11,000 firefighters battling the blaze with aircraft and units on the ground.
CAPTAIN. MARK BRENNERMAN, Viejas Fire Department:
We're going around and making sure that none of these fires that are still smoldering and smoking get into another big fire.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
As firefighters battle shifting winds, owners and workers in Wine Country are trying to determine how much damage has been done.
The gated community of Toney Highlands was one of the first to go up in flames as the Atlas Fire tore through this canyon, leaving several mansions in ruins. Down the hill at Silverado Resort are the charred remains of the Safeway PGA Tour. The major golf event had just concluded last Sunday afternoon, hours before flames engulfed the tents and stands, forcing spectators and athletes to evacuate.
MAN:
See how it burned down to the retaining wall?
JOANNE JENNINGS:
Silverado resident Steve Messina stayed and took video of firefighters containing the flames that engulfed several apartments. In a matter of minutes, flames raced three miles along the Silverado Trail, home to several iconic hillside vineyards.
Most wineries in the region have escaped the worst. But hundreds of people suffered some damage. And at least eight vineyards were significantly damaged or destroyed.
Pierre Birebent, who has been producing wines for the Signorello family estate for 20 years, hurried to his winery as quickly as he could.
PIERRE BIREBENT, Signorello Estate Vineyards:
I jumped straight into my truck, went down, and then as I was driving down I saw the whole hill on fire.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
He was joined by two vineyard workers to help save the estate's tasting room.
Pierre Borebin:
But the smoke became very thick and the wind was very strong. And an hour later we could no longer breathe. I was so upset at that moment. It was rage to see that there was nothing I could do. But it was like fighting a giant.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
The tasting room, which also housed the winery's office and dining room, burned to the ground. But Birebent says he wants to focus on what has survived.
Fortunately, he said, the fire did not reach the vineyard, the ruin site, or any of the barrels of wine stored on the site; 95 percent of this year's grapes have already been harvested.
But just in case, Birebent takes these samples to the laboratory to make sure that the juice is not too acidic for winemaking. If the harvest is good, the 25-person staff will have the opportunity to return to work.
As the fires begin to subside and the smoke clears, people here are beginning to wonder when the tourists who power much of the economy will return.
This is a serious problem for Andrew and Janie Schluter, who are self-employed and raising a young family.
ANDREW SCHLUTER, Andrews Tours and Transportation: I do wine tours and people transportation. And my business started to go very, very well. I was on my way to having the best month of my life.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
Andrew had just bought a new SUV that sat in his driveway collecting ashes. Janie is a personal trainer and has family who lost their homes in a fire. She's just not sure how they're going to make ends meet.
WOMAN:
I think we're just overwhelmed, you know? And the uncertainty is a little scary.
ANDREW SCHLUTER:
We hope to get by for a while, but we may have to make some difficult decisions soon.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
While bonfires are burning nearby, some vineyards are already open to tourists. At Raymond Vineyard, workers frantically crush grapes. The tasting room is open for the first time since the fires started.
Jeremy and Erica Moore arrived yesterday from Tennessee. They considered canceling the trip, but decided that the best way to help the people here was to give them their business.
JEREMY MOORE, tourist:
On the one hand, a few hundred meters from here you can see them cruising along with helicopters putting out the fire, but it’s beautiful here. They do great tastings and work on their harvests outside. So, it's a strange combination of tragedy, but at the same time, business must go on too.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
Owner Jean-Charles Boisset owns several wineries in California, France and Canada, but like many people here, he and his family had to flee their home as the flames came dangerously close.
However, he is optimistic about the future of the wine industry in the region.
JEAN-CHARLES BOISSET, Boisset Collection:
Napa has long been one of California's most amazing agricultural destinations, so it will survive the fires. What I love as a French person here in California is the amazing American positive attitude.
We will recover. We will walk again, we will run again, and we will welcome all our guests and give them dreams of fine wine.
JOANNE JENNINGS:
For PBS NewsHour, I'm Joan Jennings in Napa Valley, California.
