Gingerly stepping over melted bottles and charred debris that was once Paradise Ridge Winery's tasting room and event hall, owners Sonia Byck-Barwick and her brother Rene Byck searched for a samurai sword in the rubble left after one of the worst wildfires in California's history swept the area.
For the past 23 years, the building housed an exhibit on the life of Kanae Nagasawa (1852-1934), a samurai who later became a successful winemaker and was dubbed the "Wine King" of California. The exhibit had been visited by people from all over the world.
The fires destroyed more than 3,500 homes and businesses, including at least 13 wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties. At least 41 people lost their lives in the flames and hundreds remain missing. Accompanying the loss of life and property is the loss of history.