Large fire at vacant Northern California walnut plant closes Highway 99, prompts evacuations
A large fire erupted Friday morning at a vacant walnut processing plant in Live Oak, closing Highway 99 and evacuating several homes, authorities said.
Cal Fire’s Butte Unit said it was assisting the Sutter County Fire Department with a commercial fire.
“Five county engines and a Battalion Chief are at scene of a fire at Diamond Walnut,” the Cal Fire unit tweeted around 8:40 a.m.
The Diamond Walnut Growers plant on Live Oak Boulevard, just west of Highway 99, is vacant and permanently closed.
“We did evacuate some of the residences right behind the facility and then to the north and south for precautions, but as of right now they are not in danger,” Sutter County Undersheriff Scott Smallwood told The Sacramento Bee shortly after 9 a.m. “It was just a precaution.”
Smallwood estimated seven or eight residences were evacuated. He said fire crews appeared to have the fire “fairly under control” by 9 a.m., but that drivers should expect delays on Highway 99 and Live Oak Boulevard in the area.
Caltrans in an update shortly after 1 p.m. said both northbound lanes and one southbound lane of Highway 99 have reopened. Some fire crews remain in the area.
No injuries have been reported.
The Sheriff’s Office in an update around 11:15 a.m. said the fire was “contained,” but that fire crews remain at the scene mopping up .
The California Highway Patrol’s Yuba-Sutter office said both directions of Highway 99 are closed between Pennington Road and Kola Street due to a “large structure fire.”
Numerous witness photos and videos posted on social media showed the walnut building fully engulfed in flames with a large column of smoke visible from miles away.
This story was originally published February 4, 2022 at 8:59 AM.
