Early Morning Fire Tears Through Old Peach Tree Mall In Linda

LINDA (CBS13) — The building that housed the old Peach Tree Mall in Linda was scorched early Saturday morning, 35 years after barely surviving a disastrous flood.

Shocking footage captured the fire tearing through the Feather River Center in Linda early this morning.

"It's been burned to the point where it's going to have to be demolished and start over," said Kyle Heggstrom, Linda Fire Department Chief.

Formerly the Peach Tree Mall, the Feather River Center was built in the 1970s.

"I've got a lot of memories in this place," said local resident Kevin Collosi.

It was a once-thriving spot.

"This used to be a happening place," Collosi said.

It was devastated in the 1986 Yuba flood.

"This whole thing was completely underwater, and after the water subsided, there was a clean-up crew, and my brother and I were part of that," Collosi said.

Ever since - the mall has been mostly empty -- a shell of its once bustling self.

"It never materialized into something we hoped it might be to breathe back the life into this mall, as well as to the area," Collosi said.

"They were supposed to fix this whole area, but it's not going to happen now," said local resident James Steele.

While locals say it's been an eyesore for decades --

It's tough to watch the peach tree mall go out in flames.

"It was something we were hoping would not happen, and unfortunately, it did," Heggstrom said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The sheriff's office tells us one person was taken into custody when crews arrived. That suspect had been occupying the building but was arrested on an unrelated warrant.