Napa Valley Lifting: Tanks, Rebuilds and Retrofits

Rebuilding after the Glass Fire

The Glass Fire in the fall of 2020 burned more than 67,000 acres and damaged or destroyed close to 30 Napa wineries and vineyards, according to local reporting at the time. Castello di Amorosa lost the farmhouse that held a production facility; Burgess, Newton, Signorello and others took heavy losses. Rebuilding has run for years since, with permits approved for projects such as new hospitality buildings and expanded wine caves near Calistoga.

Recovery work like that is a mix of demolition, new steel, precast and tank sets on sloped sites, often with vineyards and finished structures close by. It rewards an operator who can plan a swing path carefully and a rigger who can balance an awkward, top-heavy tank.

Lessons from the 2014 earthquake

The August 2014 South Napa earthquake shook downtown Napa hard, damaging historic brick and stone buildings and knocking barrels off racks in cellars across the south valley. Repairs, bracing and seismic strengthening of older commercial buildings followed, and engineers now pay closer attention to how heavy tanks and racks are anchored.

For crane crews, that means more retrofit picks inside built-up blocks: steel moment frames lowered through roof openings, new braces flown in over occupied neighbors, and careful coordination with a qualified signal person when the operator cannot see the landing.

Harvest season and the work calendar

Many wineries want new equipment set before the grapes come in, so late spring and summer can be crowded with lifts, while harvest itself pushes construction to the edges. Valley heat on summer afternoons matters for crew safety and hydraulic temperatures, and winter rain turns vineyard roads and unpaved pads soft. Highway 29 is a two-lane road for much of its length, so oversize loads and crane mobilizations are planned around traffic.

Tank sets in particular deserve respect. A tall, empty stainless tank is light for its size but catches wind like a sail, and its lifting lugs are rated for specific sling angles. Riggers who know how to read the manufacturer's lifting instructions, choose spreader bars and plan a controlled tip-up from horizontal to vertical keep the tank and the cellar wall intact. That skill transfers to cooling towers, silos and other tall, thin loads on any job.

• Tank sets and cellar equipment: mobile crane operator or articulating crane operator
• Odd-shaped loads with shifting liquid or high centers of gravity: Rigger Level 2
• Utility and pole replacement after fires: digger derrick operator

No local license, one state rule

You will not find a Napa crane permit for operators. What counts is Cal/OSHA: for covered mobile and tower cranes, Title 8 calls for a valid certificate from an accredited certifier that names the crane type, plus a medical exam and a hands-on test along the way. The requirements guide covers the details and the exemptions for smaller units.