California Wildfires 2018: Reign of Fire

There's much to lose from such fires. Other than lives and property, the fires harm produce, in some cases causing long-term damage. In California, for example, the wine industry will feel the pain long after the ambers have died down.

'Napa and Sonoma include some of the best wine grape growing conditions in the world - a unique combination of soil, temperature, length of growing season and length of days,' elaborates Karen Walter, the agribusiness lead for West Zone at AGCS NA. 'The grapes grown in this region are used to produce a majority of the medium to higher priced U.S. varieties. Production acres lost here cannot be replicated elsewhere, so any loss of production is significant.'

Sour grapes is not all that we can expect.

The Medocino complex fires are burning in a region that also produces Christmas trees, walnuts, pear, poultry and cattle. The Shasta County region has significant pasture and rangeland, hay, timber, and cattle. The fires in Oregon have destroyed wheat crops and rangeland used for livestock production.