Glass Fire

Michelin-starred restaurant at Meadowood destroyed by Glass Fire

ByKate Larsen KGO logo

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Restaurant at Meadowood burned in Glass Fire

The three-star Michelin Restaurant at Meadowood was destroyed by fire as the Glass Fire burned through St. Helena on Monday.

ST. HELENA, Calif. (KGO) -- As thousands of residents fled their homes in Calistoga and firefighters continued to battle the hillside flames, in nearby St. Helena, much of the property at the famed Meadowood Napa Valley resort was damaged or destroyed by the Glass Fire Monday.

Firefighters created assembly lines of hoses and engines to pull water from the swimming pool, but much of the property was too far engulfed to be saved. The main building that housed the three Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood was reduced to rubble.

"The restaurant was involved when we got here this morning," said Capt. Matt Dowland. "We were able to put it out [but] unfortunately the water system, the tanks, got destroyed and then we ran out of water."

Dowland, whose Apple Valley Fire Protection District is located in Southern California, has been hopping from fire to fire up through California for the past eight days with his crew. By the time Dowland and his team are scheduled to rest on Tuesday, he says they will have been working for about 50 hours alongside other crews from all over the state.

"We are all torn apart," Chef Chris Kostow wrote in an Instagram post Monday afternoon. "...for now, I want to thank all of the TRAMily that have ever graced this magical space-and all of the guests over the years who have enjoyed the efforts of these multitudes. What an honor it has been."

In nearby Calistoga, the landmark Castello di Amorosa Winery caught fire, leaving owner Dario Sattui facing his worst nightmare.

"I should have stayed up all night, didn't think fire would jump Highway 29, it was windy last night," said Sattui.

His own employees had to grab hoses to try and put the flames out.

"The lab is gone, offices are gone, the wine was destroyed," Sattui said.

VIDEO: Smoke, flames in Northern California wine country as fires rage

California firefighters battled destructive new wildfires in wine country north of San Francisco Monday as strong winds fanned flames in the already badly scorched state. See scenes from the Glass Incident and other fires in the video above.

Dozens of wineries are in the mandatory evacuation zones or evacuation warning zones.

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