Tens of thousands of Californians were forced to flee their homes in the world-famous Napa and Sonoma wine regions Monday as another new wildfire fanned by fierce winds killed three people.
Under an opaque orange sky and a sweltering heatwave, Napa vineyards were consumed and buildings devastated by a blaze that spread at a “dangerous rate” through 11,000 acres (4,500 hectares) and was zero percent contained, state fire agency Cal Fire said.
Celebrated wineries such as Chateau Boswell and part of Castello di Amorosa went up in smoke, while there was a “significant loss” of buildings on the fringes of Santa Rosa — neighboring Sonoma County’s largest town — said fire chief Tony Gossner.
Around 200 miles (320 kilometers) north, three people perished in a “very fast moving, very fluid, very hot” fire in Shasta county,…
