Eagle Lake Lumber Company Fire

June 13, 1965 – Hank Martinez

After Fruit Growers Supply Company closed their Susanville mill,it initially appeared that it would be sold to a liquidation firm. Fruit Growers had been in negotiations with Crook & Emmerson to sale them the mill, but negotiations stalled. Finally on June 12, 1963 they reached an agreement and the mill and adjoining residential section was sold to Crook & Emmerson for $875,000.

June 13, 1965 —Hank Martinez

Crook & Emmerson’s new enterprise was known as the Eagle Lake Lumber Company. All went well until the early morning hours of June 13, 1965 when a fire broke out in the planing mill. The sprinkler system there was inoperable as the structure was being renovated. By the time the fire department arrived, it was too late, as a large portion of the plant was engulfed in flames. After three hours, the fire destroyed the planing mill, the dry kilns, the abandoned box factory and an estimated five to six million board feet of finished lumber. The estimated loss was between $5 to $6 million.

The aftermath—FGSCo.

It should be noted that Eagle Lake Lumber Company evolved into Sierra Pacific Industries.

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