Wildfires in California, Chile, and Australia
While both California and Chile have warm, Mediterranean climates, the regions – not forgetting Australia’s Southwest (Margaret River) region – have experienced devastating wildfires in recent years, threatening the lives, livelihoods, and landscapes of the wine communities.
Wildfires have been fuelled by the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, strong winds, and dry vegetation, which have been exacerbated by the effects of climate change, land use changes, and human activities.
The wildfires have had direct and indirect impacts on the wine industry, such as damage or destruction of vineyards, wineries, infrastructure, and equipment, loss of income and employment, disruption of the supply chain and the market, smoke taint of the grapes and the wines, health and safety risks for the workers and the consumers, and environmental and social consequences for the wine regions.
Wildfires have been fuelled by the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, strong winds, and dry vegetation.
Mitigating against wildfires
To deal with the wildfires, the wine industry in California, Chile, and Australia implemented various prevention and recovery measures, such as:
- Creating firebreaks
- Clearing flammable materials
- Installing sprinklers and water tanks
- Using fire-resistant materials and designs
- Applying insurance and financial aid
- Accessing alternative sources of grapes and wines
- Testing and treating the smoke taint
Industry associations, such as the California Wine Institute and the Chilean Ministry of Wine Corporation, have all contributed to the protection of vineyards from the devasting wildfires common in these areas. Despite this, there still lay some challenges, including a lack of regulation, coordination, and the uncertainty of fire behaviour and climate change projections.
