Unforgiving wildfires affect vineyard workers and owners
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — When the wildfires ignited, vineyard workers stopped picking grapes and fled for their lives. Some vineyard owners decided to stay and fight back, spending days digging firebreaks and sleeping among their vines for safety.
As the danger drew closer, grape pickers spread word of the threat and helped neighbors pack their homes. The owner of an elite golf resort abandoned his home to try to save his golf course.
The deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history imperiled both the low-wage workers who harvest the nation's most valuable wine grapes and the wealthy entrepreneurs who employ them.