Owner’s bid to save winery not his 1st fight with flames
15 years after firestorm threatened CedarCreek winery in Kelowna, inferno comes within inches of Fitzpatrick family’s winery south of Peachland
While a towering Àre roared toward his property, a Central Okanagan winery owner jumped into action, remembering the last time a wildfire wreaked havoc on his business.
Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards was ordered evacuated last Wednesday as the Mount Eneas fire burned nearby.
“It was a little too close for comfort, that is for sure,” said Gordon Fitzpatrick, president of the winery, formerly Greata Ranch, which is located along Highway 97 between Peachland and Summerland.
The Àre crossed Highway 97 toward the winery, prompting Fitzpatrick to take action, along with the many ÀreÀghters on the scene.
“We turned on our irrigation in the north Àeld to protect the vines,” he said. “Then the Àre shifted south, and that’s when Mount Eneas really became aglow and it became this towering inferno.”
Fitzpatrick then switched the irrigation to the south Àeld before evacuating the property.
Damage to the property was minimal — just smoke and ash, he said.
“We were here on the weekend pressure-washing and cleaning things up.”
The evacuation order was lifted late Saturday afternoon, and the winery reopened Sunday.
However, the weekend closure meant the winery had to cancel a wedding.
“We worked hard to find another location,” Fitzpatrick said, adding Quails’ Gate Winery came to the rescue.
“It’s amazing, the community spirit,” he said. “Everybody kind of rallies around.”
This was not the Àrst time Fitzpatrick experienced a wildÀre scare.
In 2003, during the Okanagan Mountain Àre, the Fitzpatrick family owned CedarCreek Estate Winery, which was heavily damaged in the Àre.
“The Àrestorm came right through us,” he said. “I don’t know why the Áames are following me on the other side of the lake.”