Fire at Petaluma feed company causes estimated $6 million damage

The future of a Petaluma fly larvae feed business is in jeopardy after a fire Sunday morning burned through about $6 million in inventory and equipment in two of the business’ barns, according to its co-owner Genaro Mendoza.

“The guts of the company were there,” Mendoza, 91, said Sunday, referring to the two destroyed barns owned by Protein Products, LLC.

The two buildings, he said, contained almost everything.

“It’s going to take a miracle to keep hope alive,” said Protein Products co-owner and Genaro’s nephew Maximo Mendoza III.

The blaze at 120 Jewett Road broke out at about 7:50 a.m. around when Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District was dispatched to the flames, agency Battalion Chief Herb Wandel said.

When crews arrived, flames had already engulfed one of the estimated 400 by 40 foot barns and spread to an adjacent barn.

Fire officials upgraded the blaze to a two-alarm fire, which triggered an increased response from fire crews, who sent more fire trucks and water tenders and more than 60 firefighters, Wandel said.

Crews fought the flames for about 90 minutes, during which there were multiple explosions, likely due to equipment housed in the barns.

The buildings were still smoking around 11 a.m. Sunday, according to Press Democrat personnel at the scene.

Firefighters were expected to stay at the farm for the rest of the day Sunday, putting out hot spots and assisting in cleanup.

Despite the massive amount of damage, there were no reports of any injuries and the flames did not spread to surrounding vegetation.

The Petaluma Fire Department, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District and Cal Fire assisted in the response.

Investigators are looking into the cause and the point of origin. They may take longer to determine the cause due to the extent of the damage.

Wandel said the fire appears to have spread throughout the first building very quickly due to its contents and the tarps throughout the structure. The dry air across the region Sunday helped to the make the flames worse

Genaro Mendoza said the first barn destroyed, which he called Barn 12, had black soldier flies and fly larvae. The second building, Barn 11, had four industrial dryers, used for the larvae.

About 10,200 pounds of food for the flies, computers and welding equipment were also lost in the fire.

The co-owner estimates rebuilding both barns will cost about $2 million, replacing most of the contents of both buildings will be another $2 million. The dryers specifically will likely also require another $2 million.

And the company doesn’t have fire insurance, Genaro Mendoza said.

“The future of the company at the present time is extremely uncertain,” he said.

Protein Products, LLC, which sells fly larvae products for animals under the name Hermetia Protein, was founded in 2018. The Petaluma company sells mainly to local feed stores, such as Rivertown Feed & Pet Country Store and Hunt & Behrens, Inc., with some larger clients, such as Wilco.

The fly larvae, a relatively new feed in the farming world, can now be fed to chickens, pigs and swine, ducks and even dogs, Maximo Mendoza III said.

The organization recently finalized a deal with a national and well-recognized retail company to sell their products. Now that deal is at risk.

“It is devastating to be set back,” Maximo Mendoza III said, adding that the company recently had a lot of upward momentum.

The co-owners were planning for the company to soon be well-known across the country. Now, they are worried about taking care of their 25 workers.

“It will take us months to recoup what has been lost,” said Genaro Mendoza, who has lived in Sonoma County for about 20 years. “It will take many millions of dollars we don’t have.”

“It is going to be painful,” he added. “Christmas is coming. It is going to be a sad Christmas for a lot of people.”

“If God would help us, we will survive,” said Maximo Mendoza III. “He is the only one that can save us from this devastation.”

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @madi.smals.