East County News Service

October 24, 2017 (San Diego) – With the firestorms in Northern California wine country, Sonoma, Napa and Santa Rosa being contained, the impact is now being seen and recovery efforts underway. The numbers of displaced people is staggering. Bernardo Winery will hold a wine and food tasting event November 12^th from 1-4 p.m., partnering with other San Diego County wineries and restaurants to support winery and vineyard workers and their families, who have lost their homes or been displaced in these devastating fires, to re-establish their households.

By Miriam Raftery, East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

October 9, 2017 (San Diego ) – Governor Jerry Brown has declared states of emergency in Napa, Sonoma and Yuba Counties due to wildfires that have burned at least 1,500 homes and commercial buildings and killed at least one person, Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott said at a press conference today. There is zero percent containment as of late morning.  At least 16 major fires are burning statewide.

An estimated 20,000 people have been evacuated as fires blacken skies even in Bay Area cities, forced evacuations of hospitals, shut down schools and  threaten thousands more structures in California’s wine region, gold rush towns and even coastal counties.  Many residents fled for their lives during the night as fast-moving flames destroyed wineries, vineyards, major stores and homes, dousing dreams with despair.