Vineyard owners in France fight frost with fire; See Pics

Incessant weather in France has caused major damage to fruit and wine production in the country. The weather conditions had prompted producers to try a creative method to protect vineyards and orchards with anti-frost systems. Vintners in France are lighting candles to thaw their grapevines to save them from a late frost following a winter warm spell, a temperature swing that is threatening fruit crops in multiple countries.

Incessant weather in France has caused major damage to fruit and wine production in the country. Credit: AFP Photo

These weather conditions had prompted producers to try creative methods to protect vineyards and orchards with anti-frost systems. Credit: AFP Photo

Vintners in France are lighting candles to thaw their grapevines to save them from a late frost following a winter warm spell, a temperature swing that is threatening fruit crops in multiple countries. Credit: AFP Photo

Some vintners even tried to warm the vines with electrical lines or sprayed the buds with water to protect them from frost. The water creates a thin layer of ice that ensures the blossom's temperature remains around the freezing point but does not dip much lower. Credit: Reuters Photo

The frosts that came after particularly mild temperatures in March made shoots develop early, leaving them more fragile to cold snaps. Credit: Reuters Photo

Ice-coated vines stretched across hillsides around Chablis as France’s Burgundy region woke to temperatures of minus 5-degree Celsius. Credit: Reuters Photo

The frost is particularly frustrating to farmers. A similar phenomenon hit French vineyards last year, leading to some 2 billion euros (USD2.4 billion) in losses. Credit: AFP Photo

Wine output last year was one of the lowest on record due to a combination of frost damage and pest attacks, with the Champagne harvest at the lowest in 40 years. Credit: AFP Photo

Fruit growers are worried that the frost will kill off large numbers of early buds, which appeared in March as temperatures rose above 20-degree Celsius, and disrupt the whole growing season. Credit: Reuters Photo

France recorded the coldest April night since at least 1947, at an average of minus 1.5-degree Celsius (29.3°F), with record low temperatures for the month seen in many parts of the country. Credit: Reuters Photo