Second Street Fire outline courtesy of Benton County Fire District #4

Over the weekend, the Second Street Fire ripped through an area of Benton City, Washington, burning approximately 1,151 acres including several structures. The proximity of the fire, which is now contained, to the Red Mountain, Goose Gap, and Candy Mountain appellations raised concerns about potential fire and smoke impacts in these areas.

There have been no reports of damage to any winery structures, and most area vineyards also appear to have avoided the worst of it. Still, it is expected that hundreds of tons of grapes will be left unharvested due to concerns about potential smoke impact. The level of concern is dependent on the specific location.

“I’m really more worried about Candy Mountain, not too much about Red Mountain,” says Marshall Edwards, who manages hundreds of acres of vineyards in the two appellations for Shaw Vineyards. “Anything that’s south of [State Route] 224 on Red Mountain, I’m a bit worried about the smoke, but the smoke went right at Candy Mountain.”

Candy Mountain, which was approved as an appellation in 2020, is tiny at 815 total acres, with approximately 100 acres under vine. (Washington has 35,000 acres planted.) It is an important growing region for a number of prominent wineries. However, it is nowhere near as significant for the state in terms of volume or reputation as Red Mountain.

Smoke blew across the southern section