Fire, explosion at Goldeneye winery in Philo injures employee, damages structures

An explosion and fire at Goldeneye winery in Philo on Tuesday injured an employee and caused significant damage to a one-time apple drying building on the property.

The Anderson Valley Fire Department initially was called for medical aid for an injured person at the winery just after 4 p.m., said Andres Avila, chief of the volunteer department. It was quickly upgraded to an explosion and structure fire, he said.

The employee was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated for her injuries and released Tuesday night, Avila said.

The fire ignited when something caused an explosion in a storage and utility room connected to the apple dryer, which had been remodeled and includes an unoccupied residence, he said. The woman, whose identity was not available, was in the storage room when it exploded, he said.

“It was probably a miracle she survived,” Avila said.

The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time, Avila said.

The utility room was destroyed but firefighters were able to save much of the apple dryer, he said. Avila estimated about 40 percent of the structure was damaged. He did not have an estimate of the cost of the damage.