Managing vineyards after Fire: What to do. When to do it.

lcviti
Jan 21
3 min read

Bushfires and grass fires are an unfortunate reality for many wine regions. When a vineyard is exposed to fire, the visual impact can be confronting — scorched leaves, blackened canes, damaged irrigation — yet what you see immediately after the event does not always reflect the vine’s true capacity to recover.

Effective post-fire management is about timing, restraint, and understanding vine physiology, rather than rushing into drastic action. This article outlines practical steps for assessing damage, supporting recovery, and making sound structural decisions over the following seasons.

Understanding How Grapevines Respond to Fire

Fire damage in vineyards ranges from minor leaf scorchto severe trunk and cambial injury. Importantly, above-ground symptoms often underestimate internal damage, particularly to vascular tissue.

In many cases, grapevine root systems survive fire events, even when trunks and canes are badly damaged. Because of this, vines that initially appear non-viable may still reshoot weeks later. For this reason, early removal decisions frequently lead to unnecessary vine loss.

Immediate Priorities After a Fire

1. Restore irrigation as soon as it is safe

Water is the single most important factor in post-fire recovery. Fire-affected vines are under extreme stress, and rapid dehydration can push marginal damage into permanent loss.

If irrigation infrastructure has been damaged:

Temporary systems (sprinklers, water carts) may be justified
Even partial irrigation is better than none

The objective is to support regrowth and protect root carbohydrate reserves.

2. Do not rush pruning or vine removal

In the first few weeks after a fire:

Avoid heavy pruning
Avoid cutting back to trunks prematurely
Avoid vine removal unless death is unequivocal

Allow time for vines to express their reshooting potential. Many vines show delayed but meaningful regrowth, particularly from basal buds or protected trunk tissues.

Assessing Damage: What to Look For

Visual indicators alone are not enough

Burnt leaves and scorched canes are obvious, but more important indicators include:

Presence or absence of new shoots
Shoot vigour and uniformity
Bark splitting or deep trunk charring
Evidence of cambial death beneath the bark

Vines can often be categorised informally as:

Mild damage – leaf scorch, minimal trunk injury
Moderate damage – partial trunk injury, uneven reshoot
Severe damage – extensive trunk charring, little or no regrowth

Even in moderate to severe cases, patience remains critical.

Regrowth, Carbohydrates, and the Importance of Leaf Area

Carbohydrate reserves stored in roots and trunks are the foundation of vine recovery. Removing regrowth too early reduces the vine’s ability to:

Rebuild reserves
Develop replacement structure
Recover vigour in subsequent seasons

Where regrowth occurs:

Retain sufficient leaf area
Avoid repeated removal of new shoots
Focus on vine survival and structural recovery, not crop production

Pruning and Structural Decisions: Timing Matters

Summer vs winter intervention

Research and field experience show that:

Immediate summer trunk renewal can weaken vines if leaf area is lost too early
Delaying major structural work until winter dormancy often results in stronger vines in following seasons

Winter pruning allows: