The area where the Meadowood Napa Valley resort sits was evacuated on Sunday as the growing Glass Fire threatened it and multiple other parts of northern Napa County. And we can now confirm that one of the main buildings on the resorts that includes the acclaimed Restaurant at Meadowood and the Grill, has burned to the ground.
The photo below first appeared on Monday appearing to show the restaurant building on fire.
#meadowood across the valley from St Helena. I just left there...they couldn’t save it. :(. #glassfire pic.twitter.com/rFVCbGrndD
— Adam Housley (@adamhousley) September 28, 2020
Chronicle reporter Dustin Gardiner then tweeted Monday afternoon that "most of the large building are still standing" at the resort, but the tennis complex had burned.
Fire crews are racing to save Meadowood Napa Valley, a luxury hotel in the path of #GlassFire
— Dustin Gardiner (@dustingardiner) September 28, 2020
Most of the large buildings are standing, but the tennis complex is on fire. Firefighters are draining the resort pool to refill engine tanks. @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/BCMCywRZNS
That news was followed by photos from Getty photographer Justin Sullivan later on Monday that showed the restaurant building completely destroyed, with only its stone entry steps remaining.
The resort reopened for guests in June, but was only initially offering outdoor dining at the Pool Terrace Bar. The Restaurant at Meadowood then resumed doing its refined take on fine dining as of July 1, with Executive Chef Christopher Kostow writing in a letter to guests that he the experience, however incongruous with a pandemic, "hopefully may serve as a salve in even the most challenging days" for guests who come there.
As KPIX reports, the restaurant building caught fire early on Monday, around 3 a.m., and while firefighters initially extinguished it, it caught fire again and could not be saved after firefighters ran out of water and had already drained the pool fighting the blaze.
The expansive property also includes several lodge buildings, a spa, and dozens of individual cottage buildings, some of which have apparently survived.
A spokesperson for Meadowood's parent company told the East Bay Times on Monday that the two families who own the resort "are committed to the property. [And] Whatever it takes to rebuild and reopen, we’ll do."
While it may seem trivial to talk about the loss of a luxury resort property when thousands of people's homes are at risk of being destroyed, once again, it's a sign of how ferocious and out-of-control the Glass Fire has been — that such a valuable piece of real estate couldn't be defended despite best efforts.
Multiple wineries and hotels in and around St. Helena and Calistoga and over in the Sonoma Valley are reporting damages on Monday. SFGate reports that the five-star Calistoga Ranch resort suffered "extensive" damage. The video below shows the destruction at Chateau Boswell winery, and the photo above shows the Glass Mountain Inn on fire last night.
The aftermath of the Glass Fire that scorched the Chateau Boswell winery in St. Helena California, overnight.
— ~Marietta✌ (@_MariettaDavis) September 28, 2020
The wildfire has burned 11,000 acres of the state's famous wine vineyards in Napa & Sonoma Counties.#GlassFire #California #Wildfire #PrayForRain pic.twitter.com/7Z5Z0pMOdi
Related: Glass Fire Merges With Sonoma Fire, Burns 11,000 Acres and Prompts Mass Evacuation
This post has been updated throughout.