Fire Map app allows Sonoma County, Napa Valley wineries to monitor wildfires around the world

As we near the season for potential wildfires, a free app may help restless winegrowers sleep through the night.

The Fire Map app enables growers to monitor active fires within 20 miles of any location in the world.

The Virginia-based company that created its namesake Agrology Fire Map (agrology.ag/firemap) is now giving people free access to the map that was launched in the spring of 2021 for paid subscribers. Users can simply download the Agrology iOS app in the Apple App Store.

Riggs Lokka, vineyard manager at Sebastopol’s Emeritus Vineyards, has been using the technology since it came on the market. He said it’s helping temper anxiety about potential firestorms. The grower said he’s extremely worried about the effects of wildfires.

“Over the past several growing seasons, Agrology has enabled me to take quick action when fires break out,” Lokka said. “I use the Agrology app daily, and during fire season I find the Fire Map feature incredibly useful and actionable. I can pinpoint exactly where the threat is coming from and plan accordingly.”

The company expects more Sonoma County wineries will use the app in the near future, according to Holly Nuss of Agrology. She said the company is beginning to work with the Sonoma County Winegrowers organization in its Farm of the Future program. A collaborative effort, Farm of the Future is a program to combat climate change by sharing new technologies.

To date, Lokka of Emeritus said, these wineries from Sonoma County and Napa Valley are currently using the Fire Map app: Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars, Duckhorn Vineyards and Pride Mountain Vineyards.

Partnering with Google, the app uses its technology and offers a wide range of data, including information on wildfires, smoke taint, drought and irrigation. The app has alerts, real-time data and predictive models of up to four days out.

Gauging smoke taint a key feature

“During the Walbridge Fire of 2020, there was no data to help figure out if the amount of smoke from the fire would create smoke taint in the wine,” Lokka said.

Knowing the location of a fire, Lokka said, helps him track the winds and how they’ll move the smoke to or away from his vineyard.

“When we were approached by Agrology, we jumped on board to make sure that growers could have the data to help understand what might create smoke taint,” he said.

The fire map, shown as a 3D image, enables users to zoom in and out to see the exact location of fires. They can select up to three locations at once.

The technology is intended for growers who want to plan what action to take, not as a lifesaving tool, according to Kevin Kelly, co-founder and head of software at Agrology.

“With this year’s wet winter and resulting brush growth, the 2023 fire season in the West could be unprecedented,” Kelly said. “We want growers everywhere to be prepared. We developed this new feature to enable them to track fires in real time.”

You can reach wine writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.