California Fires Devastate First Legal Harvest
Many of Northern California’s cannabis cultivation farms have been destroyed or are being threatened by a rash of wildfires spreading through Sonoma County as well as Mendocino County. Employees of local cannabis cultivation companies are reporting apocalyptic scenes in the affected areas.
According to the San Francisco Gate, six of 18 regional members of the California Growers Association were under evacuation orders or helping others evacuate. Eric Pearson is CEO of SPARC SF and an NCIA member. “We are safe but these fires in Sonoma Valley are really bad. Winds are too strong, and it’s too dark to fly planes. Trinity Oaks neighborhood is gone,” Pearson posted on Facebook.
The devastation is far-reaching. According to the CAL FIRE California Statewide Fire Summary, 17 wildfires have started within the last 24 hours, burning over 115,000 acres. On October 9, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a State of Emergency. “Sheriff officials have confirmed that 11 people have died as a result of the wildfires in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa and Yuba counties,” the summary reads. “These fires have already burned an estimated 1,500 homes and commercial structures. Several Damage Assessment Teams have been deployed to get a full account of the destruction.”
The Chairman of the Santa County Growers Alliance, Tawnie Logan, told San Francisco Gate that they have verified that many cannabis farms have been destroyed by the fire already. “We have a lot of people who have lost their farms in the last 36 hours, and their homes,” said Logan. At this time it is unclear how many acres of cannabis plants have been affected so far.
Other cannabis farms that have sustained confirmed damages include SPARC and the Sonoma County Cannabis Company. The Sonoma County Cannabis Company posted a GoFundMe account to support two family victims who lost everything in the fire. Cannabis attorney Joe Rogoway fled his home along with his family. A Wonderland Nursery employee, who wished not to be named, told CULTURE that the company’s Garberville-based properties were intact as of mid-day Tuesday, but “we can see the smoke from here.”
The implications of the fire’s effect on the cannabis industry go beyond torched fields. Meanwhile, new regulations which includes from California’s Office of Cannabis Control will soon take effect. Cannabis industry insiders are worried about whether the smoke will affect batches of cannabis and if they will pass inspection.
