Historic Templeton Feed and Grain destroyed by Fourth of July Fire
TEMPLETON, Calif. - A piece of Templeton’s history was destroyed in a fire over the 4th of July weekend.
It was started by an illegal firework, and investigators are now looking for the people responsible.
For more than a century, Templeton Feed & Grain has been a community staple, and a visual icon – making its mark even on the city's emergency service vehicles, which display an image of the structure.
“It's been here 121 years and someone decided that this year they were going to burn it down, which is terrible,” says Nick Perez, who grew up in Templeton and now lives in Atascadero.
On Friday night, an illegal firework was thrown at the historic building, sparking a massive fire.
Residents were advised to conserve water while firefighters battled the blaze.
“My crews arrived on scene, and they actually saw active smoke and fire,” says Tom Peterson, chief of the Templeton Fire Department. “They upgraded it to a commercial response. When I arrived on scene, I asked for a what was called a second alarm because we had fire actually coming out through the roof of the Feed and Grain itself.”
Three days later, firefighters are still trying to put out hotspots while a full demolition is taking place simultaneously.
“Unfortunately, due to the amount of damage, it became unsafe,” says chief Peterson. “So, yeah, it has to be completely taken down.”
A group of 4 to 6 individuals dressed in dark clothing, one carrying a backpack, are of interest to authorities, as well as a group of people who may have spoken to them just before the fire broke out.
“It's the—kind of the icon of our, our community. Yeah, it's a hit,” says chief Peterson. “It was a firework. Yeah, an illegal firework. I want to make that really clear. it was an illegal firework.
Authorities are asking for anyone with additional information, images or video footage to contact the Templeton Fire Department or SLO County Sheriff's Office.
“You don’t just accidentally burn a place like this down, you know,” says Perez. “There has to be intent behind it. There's no—it's no mystery here.”
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