Lost in a Blaze
Feb 09, 2022 12:00AM ● By By Seti Long
These stunning aerial photos capture the blaze that destroyed the historic Diamond Walnut Factory in Live Oak, just before the whole building was consumed. Images by Kyle Taylor
Historic Diamond Walnut Factory Left in Rubbles
LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) – Last Friday, thick, black clouds of smoke rose above Live Oak, raining down large chunks of ash over the city as the Diamond Walnut Factory went up in a massive blaze.
According to reports, just before 8:00 am Friday, February 4th, the Sutter County Fire Department responded to multiple calls reporting a fire at the Diamond Walnut Factory"'the multi-storied, 10,000 square foot building located to the west of Highway 99 in the heart of Live Oak. Upon arrival, Sutter County Fire crews found the large commercial structure engulfed in flames and requested back up. Multiple firefighting agencies from surrounding counties responded to the Diamond Fire, including outside agencies such as CHP, Caltrans, Sutter County Sheriff’s Department, Cal OES, and PG&E.
The quickly growing blaze shut down Highway 99 in both directions for hours, including the Union Pacific Railway, which runs parallel to the large commercial structure on its west side. Residents in the surrounding areas were immediately evacuated as the historic building, believed to have been built in 1920, was rapidly destroyed by fire.
Live Oak Resident and photographer, Kyle Taylor, was on scene shortly after the blaze began and caught stunning images of the fire while witnessing its progression. He says that upon his arrival, he observed what looked to be a river of molten plastic flowing from the burning of hundreds of plastic bins used to transport and store walnuts that were currently being stored on the property. According to Taylor, the hot melting plastic appeared to help spread the blaze as the fire consumed the factory.
A Facebook post by Sutter County Fire Department reported: “After an aggressive firefight that lasted the duration of the day, crews brought the fire under control and terminated the incident around 6:00 pm. This was a collaborative effort involving help from many different agencies and resources.”
It is believed that the building was unoccupied at the time of the blaze and not operational, allegedly only being used for storage. At the time of this article, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
