The Fire at Geyserville (2)
"It's a wildfire!"
At my father's shout as he sprinted down the vineyard hill, the workers who had been busy in the fields jumped in alarm.
"Everyone, move!"
Having been trained on how to react in the event of a wildfire, the workers scattered and ran toward the farm's perimeter. We had already established a firebreak, but they needed to urgently clear away the scattered vines and branches by hand.
Since we had used tractors to extend the firebreak all the way to the nearby road, there was now a gap of about 4 to 5 meters between the farm and the brush at the foot of the mountain. Even so, I couldn't take my eyes off the red glow that seemed to be inching closer from the distance.
"You said it's a wildfire? Should we turn on the sprinklers?"
Armando, who had run up to join us, asked. I shook my head.
"Not yet... The sprinklers are the last resort. We have to see if it's definitely coming this way."
The moment we turned on the sprinklers, the water stress management we had maintained until now could collapse. If that happened, not only would this year's table grapes be ruined, but the quality of the wine would also be compromised.
We had to wait as long as possible, and only when we were certain the flames would engulf the farm should we turn on the sprinklers—prioritizing the survival of the farm over the quality of the grapes.
"I suppose that's true. But... that's the northwest, right? Silveroak is in the middle... If we're lucky, it might not even reach your farm. You don't have to worry too much, do you?"
To the northwest of Napa lies the vast Sonoma County region. And since the Russian River Valley was part of that, I prayed that nothing would happen.
"You never know. How long do you think it'll take? To get here."
"Wildfires at this time of year move fast. Maybe five or six hours if it's quick? Ten hours if it's slow?"
"...Tonight's going to be a long one."
I could feel sweat soaking into my hands as I gripped the tree.
At that same time, at Silveroak Vineyards.
"It's a wildfire! There's a wildfire!"
Elowen Pike, who had been about to enjoy a leisurely dinner, locked eyes with his family. He sprang up as if jolted and ran outside, turning his head toward the direction the worker was pointing. A red glow was clearly surging above the distant ridge.
"Damn it...!"
In California, thousands of wildfires occur every year, so one doesn't panic at the mere mention of one, but that didn't mean he wasn't terrified now that it was visible to his own eyes.
Elena, who had followed him out in a panic, was the same. Her face turned pale at the sight of the red light in the distance. And the words of the Asian boy she had met at school echoed in her mind.
'Be careful, wildfires can happen in this dry weather.'
She bit her lip until it stung, remembering how she had scoffed at those words.
Elowen shouted urgently.
"Call all the workers! We need to dig a firebreak! Request help from the cooperative and borrow tractors right now!"
"Understood."
But before long, a desperate answer returned.
"Sir, I checked, but all the tractors have been rented out! Other farms have already taken them all!"
"Damn it...!"
He quickly called the heavy equipment rental shop. But he received the same answer—there was no equipment left. A wildfire doesn't just start in one place like a building fire; it spreads from the point of ignition, so there is inevitably a difference in response time.
"Haa..."
His vision blurred. A firebreak absolutely required machinery. Even if they dug up the dirt and cleared the weeds by hand, there was a clear difference compared to using machines. But he couldn't just stand still.
"Bring shovels and axes! We have to do something! We just need to buy time until the fire department support arrives!"
A moment later, thirty workers gathered, holding old shovels and axes. Elowen himself gripped an axe.
"I'll pay three times the daily wage, so let's give it everything we've got!"
At the mention of triple pay, the workers gripped their tools firmly, their resolve hardened. From then on, Elowen and the workers spread out along the farm's perimeter in the direction of the flames and began to create a firebreak.
"You go and fetch some water for the workers. You'll get hurt!"
When Elena tried to join in to help, Elowen shouted. Upset, Elena ran off to deliver water and snacks to the workers. The flames were still far away, but their hearts were desperate.
And so, the people cut down dry grass and dug into the earth.
One hour, two hours... time passed quickly, and seven hours had already gone by. Elowen, who was swinging an axe with his hands torn and bandaged, could smell the acrid smoke.
"Let's push a little harder!"
Elena, watching her father shout from afar, stamped her feet. The flames were now clearly visible approaching from the distance.
"Dad! Retreat now!"
"No! There's still time! What about CAL FIRE?"
"They said they're fighting it on-site!"
"Damn it..."
Just then, a plane passed overhead and dropped water toward the approaching wildfire. The sight of a massive water bomb stretching out and covering the mountain range was spectacular.
"Oh?"
Fortunately, it looked like the fire might be extinguished, but soon, only the part hit by the water bomb subsided, while the rest continued to burn. Still, Elowen raised his axe and shouted.
"You all saw that, right? CAL FIRE sent a firefighting plane to support us! We can win this!"
Encouraged, Elowen and the workers continued their axe work and digging. But the flames were too fast, and soon a crimson fire began to appear in the distance. They were only 200 meters from the farm.
He could feel the scorching heat on his face, and every time the shovels scraped the earth, red embers flew through the air alongside a wind that sounded like it was tearing the ears apart. With a 'thwump' sound, small fires sprouted up, and the workers scrambled to stomp them out.
"No! Faster! Support that side! Widen the gap!"
Elowen's voice was cracking. But human strength was insufficient. The flames rushed forward like a monster.
"Damn it... damn it!"
"We have to withdraw!"
As the flames seemed to be right in front of them, fear filled the workers' faces. Some were already backing away, tools still in hand.
Elowen squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. His eyes burned with hot tears. But he had to make a decision.
"...I understand. Everyone, fall back!"
Finally, the workers began to run without looking back, and ten minutes later, the flames flickered through a spot where the firebreak hadn't been completed and finally reached the edge of the farm.
As if in a final act of desperation, Elowen turned on the sprinklers. With a creaking sound, jets of water burst from the metal pipes and sprayed over the vineyard. But it was woefully insufficient against the flames. It seemed as if the water evaporated in the intense heat before it could even reach the fire.
Elena covered her face with her hands and sobbed.
"My farm... our farm..."
The red flames ruthlessly swallowed the edge of the vineyard. The well-grown grapevines burned black in an instant, and the fire spread to the next block in the blink of an eye. With a crackling sound, the grapes burst and flowed down. The smell was sweet, but at the same time, it was the terrible scent of death.
Elowen and Elena, who had taken refuge below the farm, stared at the sight of the burning vineyard with vacant faces. Columns of pitch-black smoke soared into the sky, and the red light flickered like a sea of hellfire.
Elena, clutching her face, said in a trembling voice.
"Dad... is it over now?"
Elowen couldn't answer. His lips moved, but no voice came out. The sight before him was too clear. He hadn't even managed to create a proper firebreak. The guilt of failing his duty as the owner weighed heavily on his shoulders.
The roar of the flames in the distance sounded like mockery. But he shook his head heavily.
"Not yet... not yet."
No matter how massive a wildfire is, a vineyard is naturally rich in moisture, acting as a massive firebreak itself. As expected, the flames that had threatened to swallow the farm's perimeter could not expand their territory beyond a certain line.
But the damage already done was too great.
"Let's go. We have insurance, so it's not like we can't recover the damage."
Elowen, who had walked out while stroking his daughter's shoulder, hugged his wife, who had been waiting for him while crying, and watched the flames slowly subside with a complex look in his eyes.
Watching the flames slowly approaching in the distance, I shouted to my father.
"The flames have weakened a lot!"
"Then the sprinklers...?"
"Not yet, not yet..."
Just then, a firefighting plane flew overhead once more, and a water bomb dropped immediately. The flames, which were already losing momentum, were seen shrinking once again.
My father, who had splashed water from a bucket outside the firebreak, said with a somewhat relieved expression.
"It looks like it's being brought under control? That's Silveroak Farm over there, right? Is that why?"
"I suppose so... Anyway, I hope it ends like this. Please check if any embers have fallen onto our farm."
Even if the flames were beginning to subside, I couldn't lower my guard, as I didn't know when they might catch the wind and gain momentum again.
After watching for about an hour, the approaching flames reached the farm's perimeter, but thanks to the wide firebreak we had created, they couldn't cross the line. Then, after a few more water drops, the wildfire finally lost its initial momentum and faded from its red glow.
"It's over."
Armando tapped my shoulder, his eyes showing that he knew how hard I'd worked.
"Fortunately... we were lucky. Even if we had made a firebreak, it would have been difficult if the flames hadn't weakened in front of us."
I said that and then spoke to my father, who was just coming up.
"The grapes on the farm's perimeter need to be washed."
"Is that so?"
"They've been hit by smoke, so if we leave them like this, they'll taste like smoke. There will be some issues with quality, but it can't be helped."
"Whew, it can't be helped. Oh, and I called the Hart farm in the Russian River Valley. Fortunately, they said there was no damage to the farm at all."
"Is that so? That's a relief."
"Yeah, they said it started north of Geyserville, and they were actually worried about us."
"Yes, I understand. Let's go check tomorrow."
I began washing the smoke-affected grapes with the workers, and before long, I watched the Napa Fire Department's wildfire response team finish cleaning up the site perfectly.
Then, a thought occurred to me, and I went to find the fire commander and asked.
"Was there much damage from this wildfire?"
"It's not extremely severe, but I know that quite a few grape farms suffered some damage, even if it was minor. Your farm had a very well-drawn firebreak, so there wasn't much damage. Oh, and Silveroak Farm up there lost a quarter of its land."
"Oh my... tsk tsk tsk..."
After clicking my tongue, I looked toward the side where Silveroak Farm was and muttered.
"It's unfortunate... but that's just how farming is."