Family-owned date palm farm destroyed in Martinez fire

Emergency crews have gotten a much better grip on the Martinez fire since it exploded yesterday, maintaining the blaze at 40 acres and achieving 90% containment as of Tuesday afternoon.

Part of the area the fire ripped through is a 10-acre date palm ranch called the Dulce Medjool farm, a family-owned business that was preparing for harvest season. In just a matter of hours, the fire destroyed most of its crops and that family’s livelihood.

Mario Aguilar, son-in-law of the main owner of the ranch, said at least 70% of their crops are destroyed.

“We’ve been working on these palm trees for years,” Aguilar said. “We actually come out here and help my father-in-law, we actually do the harvest, we do a lot of things here.”

His young kids remember their days at the ranch fondly.

“We each have memories like (my sister) climbed her first palm tree three months ago and I used to work here too,” said Moyses Aguilar, Mario’s son.

When the fire erupted Monday, their family was sent into shock.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Mario Aguilar said. “At first we thought all the fire was over here on the side, but then one of the firefighters told me all the palm trees in the front were actually burning.”

The blaze tore through the ranch, causing excessive damage to some structures, equipment, and much of the date palms.

Some of the trees will take up to two years to be able to produce fruit again following the fire damage.

Aguilar had a message for the emergency responders who helped spare some of the structures on the property and ensure nobody got hurt.

“It was 120-something degrees and they were still out here battling these fires,” he said. “I give them props and thank God for them.”

Aguilar’s family is unsure of what is to come.

“We will be talking about what’s next because right now we’re just lost of words man, we don’t know what to do,” he said. “Luckily none of our family members got hurt so thank God for that. Everything else can be replaced.”