Michelin-starred restaurant is reduced to rubble as Glass Fire roars through northern California's wine country sparking the evacuation of 50,000 residents - amid fears an entire season of grapes could be DESTROYED
A three-Michelin-star restaurant has been destroyed in a wildfire currently ravaging Northern California's wine region.
The Restaurant at Meadowood, which forms part of the luxury Meadowood Resort in the Napa Valley, was reduced to rubble when it was torched by the Glass Fire on Tuesday afternoon.
The blaze, which started Sunday and is only two percent contained, has already scorched more than 36,200 acres of land north of San Francisco.
While there have been no reports of fatalities from the Glass Fire, at least 95 structures have been destroyed.
The Restaurant at Meadowood, which had been operating since the 1980s and offered a famed $500 per person menu, was among the buildings that could not be saved.
Shocking images shared to Twitter by local reporter Adam Housley showed firefighters standing helplessly as flames engulfed the upmarket eatery.
The Restaurant at Meadowood, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, has been destroyed in a wildfire currently ravaging Northern California's wine region.
The restaurant, which had been operating since the 1980s and offered a famed $500 per person menu, was reduced to rubble after the blaze moved through
The remains of the upmarket eatery are seen on Wednesday evening in the aftermath of the Glass Fire
Shocking images shared to Twitter by local reporter Adam Housley showed firefighters standing helplessly as flames engulfed the upmarket eatery
Several other buildings at the luxury Meadowood Resort - one of California's most famous wedding spots - were also severely damaged. It is pictured prior to the Glass Fire
Meadowood Resort is pictured prior to the Glass Fire. The Napa Valley getaway is one of the country's most coveted vacation spots and attracts visitors from around the world
The same day, evacuation orders for more than 50,000 people were issued to residents living in Napa and Sonoma counties - the heart of Callifornia's wine country.
Several vineyards have already been torched in the Glass Fire, including the Chateau Boswell, also located in St. Helena.
The Chateau Boswell, established back in 1979, was one of the most reputable wineries in the Napa region, with visitors flocking the famous site from across the world.
The Glass Fire also destroyed $5 million worth of wine at the nearby Castello di Amorosa, but firefighters managed to save a $30 million castle-style structure on the estate.
Meanwhile, there are fears that smoke contamination could destroy an entire year's worth of grapes in California's wine country, even if vineyards can be saved.
According to ABC 7, trace levels of smoke taint have already been detected in grapes at Sonoma's McEvoy Ranch.
Smoke exposure often makes wine taste sour and bitter, meaning that exposed grapes are rendered unusable.
Samantha Dorsey, who is president of McEvoy Ranch, says the grapes will now be left to rot.
'It's devastating because it's an entire year's worth of work,' she told the news network.
Staircase to nowhere: The entrance to The Restaurant at Meadowood is pictured after the blaze tore through
Incinerated vehicles are seen in Meadowood's parking lot on Tuesday afternoon. There were no reports of injuries, as the premises had been evacuated
The blaze also destroyed other coveted accommodation in the Napa Valley. The Black Rock Inn, located in St. Helena, is pictured going up in flames
Several vineyards have already been torched in the Glass Fire, including the Chateau Boswell, also located in St. Helena
Some thousands of bottles of wines are seen destroyed at the Castello di Amorosa winery after it was damaged by the Glass Fire in Calistoga, California, Tuesday
Charred bottles are seen in the remains of the warehouse in the Farm House at the Castello di Amorosa winery which was gutted by the Glass Fire in Napa Valley, California, Tuesday. An estimated $5 million of wine was destroyed
Cellar worker Jose Juan Perez sprays water on burning debris at Castello di Amorosa. The vineyard's $30 million stone structure managed to withstand the blaze, but $5 million of wine was destroyed
Damaged fermentation tanks are left behind at the Fairwinds Estate Winery that was destroyed by the Glass Fire in Calistoga, California, Tuesday
The fires ripped through Chateau Boswell and other wineries midway through grape picking season in the lead-up to winter
Thick smoke from the Glass Fire settles among the rows of grapes at the Wolleson Vineyard in Calistoga, Napa Valley. Smoke exposure often makes wine taste sour and bitter, meaning that exposed grapes are rendered unusable
As the Glass Fire increased in size, 1500 firefighters were deployed, with 133 engines, 22 water tenders, five helicopters and 35 bulldozers.
Meanwhile, further to the north, the Zogg Fire claimed three lives and destroyed 150 buildings in a heavily forested area of rural Shasta County.
The circumstances of the three deaths are not known. More than 1,200 people have been evacuated for the Zogg Fire, which has burned more than 72 square miles .
On Tuesday, the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) company cut electricity to 65,000 homes in northern California as a precaution.
A cross remains standing at Foothills Elementary School after the Glass Fire passed through Napa Valley on Tuesday
A firefighter rubs his face after a night spent battling the Glass Fire in Northern California
Cal Fire official Jonathan Cox said 80 houses have been destroyed between the Napa and Sonoma County
The Zogg Fire, which ignited on Sunday afternoon at 4pm, forced the evacuation of more than 1,200 people, spreading over 23 square miles by Monday