Deputies identify arsonist who set fire to Templeton Feed and Grain

July 16, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County sheriff deputies have identified the arsonist who allegedly threw fireworks on the roof of Templeton Feed & Grain on the evening of July 4, destroying the granary and damaging the retail structure.

The suspects who allegedly destroyed the iconic structures are juveniles, and their identities will likely be kept private. The case remains under investigation, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office.

Shortly after 11 p.m., an alarm sounded at the feed store on Main Street in downtown Templeton. As firefighters battled the blaze, flames shot from the top of the 80-foot grain silos. The fire burned for two days.

Members of the community watched as the buildings burned and as the silos were torn down, some crying at the loss of the structure built in 1912.

Templeton Feed and Grain’s insurance company canceled its policy about three years ago, co-owner Rick Jermin said. They were not able to find a new insurance provider.

It is unknown if the juveniles’ families will be held responsible for the Jermin family’s financial losses.

Moving forward, with the help of members of the community, including local contractors, the family plans to retain the front of the concrete building while rebuilding the rest of the structure. It is expected to take about a year to finish.

Future plans include replacing the large grain silos with smaller feed storage buildings. Until then, the family has partnered with a Central Valley-based feed manufacturing company, Penny Newman, to make the Jermin family’s feed recipes.

In the interim, the family is hoping to put up a temporary office and large tent where the towers used to stand to continue operating, Laura Jermin Humphrey said. And for the first time, Templeton Feed and Grain is planning to create a website where they will sell feed and merchandise such as hats and T-shirts.

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