Warren Cricket Farm in Dunn caught on fire Tuesday morning, burning for hours as firefighters attempted to put out the flames. The farm is hailed as the largest cricket producer in the state, specializing in live bait production and wholesale distribution.
The fire department received a call alerting them of the fire around 10 a.m., ABC 11 reports, and crews from Dunn, Erwin, Buies Creek, Coats, and Angier responded to the scene to help fight the blaze. The cause of the fire is currently unknown but no injuries were reported.
The 33,000-square-foot facility is the largest provider of crickets to the bait industry, and is possibly the oldest cricket producer in North Carolina, according to WRAL. Its owner, Waylon Warren Sr., has been in the industry since 1947. They began selling crickets to the community, especially fishermen, during the 1950s, and eventually expanded their client list to pet shops and reptile owners.
"Mrs. Warren started raising crickets for her husband to fish with," Scott Lee, farm operator and family friend, told WRAL in 2019. "His friends wanted some crickets and it just grew to what it is today."
Though the public can't tour the facility on Bait Road, the family is proud of the farm's impact on its community and state.
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