Live updates: Flames engulf iconic Templeton Feed & Grain towers in late-night fire

>> Read the latest: Fire devastates historic Templeton Feed & Grain building as town watches

Firefighters responded to a devastating commercial structure fire at the Templeton Feed & Grain building late Friday night on the Fourth of July and into Saturday morning.

Towering flames could be seen shooting from the top of the building as firefighters battled the blaze through the night.

By the morning, much of the roof had collapsed as flames ate through the interior of the landmark building.

Templeton Feed & Grain has long been a San Luis Obispo County institution, with its iconic 105-foot grain elevator and grain silos standing proudly above Templeton’s Main Street for decades.

The original concrete building was built in 1912 and was used as a garage for Chevrolet vehicles and Illinois tractors, according to the Templeton Area Expansion Plan. It was converted to a granary in the 1930s.

The building is located between 4th and 5th streets across from McPhee’s Grill.

Firefighting continues into Saturday morning

Update, 10:40 a.m.:

Flames were still visible from the building into Saturday morning as firefighters continued to try to extinguish the blaze.

Meanwhile, onlookers flocked to the scene to see the wreckage of the devastating fire.

Templeton at ‘critically low’ water levels after fighting fire

Update, 9:25 a.m.:

Templeton residents are being urged to conserve water due to the amount it took to fight the Templeton Feed & Grain fire overnight.

In a post on X on Saturday morning, the Templeton Fire Department asked residents to “limit indoor water use and do not water at all outdoors at this time.”

“Templeton is at critically low water levels due to the amount of water used to contain the fire at Templeton Feed and Grain,” the post read.

Fire chief describes how fire spread at Templeton building

Update, 1:30 a.m.:

Templeton Fire Chief Tom Peterson said the agency was initially notified of a fire alarm at the building at 11:11 p.m. Friday.

The first unit on scene saw smoke and requested a full structure response, he said. They then began climbing into the building’s silo to further access the fire.

“Pretty much it’s a wood-structured building so it kinda took off from there,” Peterson said.

The fire then spread “real easily” through the top of the building’s silos, he said.

Though firefighters were still working to save the concrete portion of the building, it looked like the silos were going to be a total loss, he added.

When asked how old the building was, Peterson responded: “It’s old. Pretty old.”

It was as yet unclear what the cause of the fire was, he said, noting that investigators would hopefully be able to get camera footage from neighboring businesses to help determine how it started.

As of about 1:20 a.m., the flames no longer could be seen from the top of the building, though flickering could be seen deeper within the structures.

Peterson said crews were likely to be at the scene until the “sun comes up.”

Onlookers gather to watch as flames burn iconic Templeton building

Update, 1 a.m.:

Everett Allred said he had finished watching fireworks when during a late-night walk, his brother saw the Templeton Feed & Grain building “go up in flames.”

So Allred hurried down to the scene to see what was happening.

“At first it was only that top part, and then that slowly started spreading and collapsing,” he said motioning to the building’s tower. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to collapse tonight.”

Engines shoot water as flames send plume of smoke into sky

Update, 12:20 a.m.:

Flames could be seen erupting from an upper area of Templeton Feed & Grain early Saturday morning as firefighters made a mad dash to save the building.

The towering flames could be seen as far away as Highway 101, as well as a large plume of dark smoke emanating from the building.

As of 12:20 a.m., numerous engines were working to try to douse the flames with water, though there appeared to be difficulty accessing the uppermost portion of the building where the flames were strongest.

As the blaze continued, a large group of onlookers gathered nearby.

In a post on X, Cal Fire said its crews were responding to the second-alarm fire as part of an automatic aid agreement with Templeton Fire.

Other responding agencies were Atascadero, Paso Robles, San Miguel and San Luis Obispo city fire departments.

People were asked to avoid the area as operations continued.

Original story:

According to emergency radio traffic, the fire was at 405 S. Main St., the location of Templeton Feed & Grain.

Multiple engines responded to the blaze from as far away as San Luis Obispo. The fire was reported at 11:06 p.m., according to the PulsePoint app.

At around the same time, another fire was reported in a trash bin nearby at 550 Crocker St.

This story was originally published July 4, 2025 at 11:52 PM.

Joe Tarica

The Tribune

805-781-7911

Joe Tarica is the editor of The Tribune in San Luis Obispo. He’s worked in various newsroom roles since 1993, including as an award-winning copy editor, designer and columnist. A California native, he has been a resident of San Luis Obispo County for more than 35 years and is a Cal Poly graduate.