VIDEO: Fire Roars Through Landmark Sonoma County Family Winery
SONOMA (CBS SF) -- While the fire only raged for 20 minutes, the blaze that roared through the barn-turned-tasting room at Sonoma County's landmark Larson Family Winery earlier this week took a devastating toll.
Gone was a treasure trove of historic Sonoma Rodeo and Larson Family memorabilia. The winery dates back to 1899, was once the stomping grounds of Buster Millerick, the Petaluma native who helped train Seabiscuit and was among the first to open in Sonoma Valley.
On Wednesday at approximately 8:45 p.m., the Schell-Vista Fire Protection District got a 911 call reporting a fire at the winery. Fortunately, the station wasn't located too far away and firefighters quickly arrived at the winery.
The barn-tasting room was fully engulfed, but their quick action limited the spread of the flames to other parts of the winery. Video of the blaze was captured by a Sonoma County sheriff's helicopter that was flying over the area after taking part in another call.
"The barn-turned-tasting room suffered irreparable damage and will be closed until further notice," the family posted on the winery Facebook page. "No humans or dogs were injured in the fire. The adjacent barrel room and winemaking facilities were left unharmed."
"We are devastated by the loss of our business and priceless historic Sonoma Rodeo and Larson Family memorabilia."
While family was still coming to grips with the damage and loss, they promised to continue on.
"While we're still very much in the recovery phase, we are moving forward with every intention of opening back up and being a place where you can continue to make great memories," the family posted on the winery web page.
Fire officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
