More than 40 fire fighters battled a massive fire at the former Land O' Lakes plant in Gustine.
Residents were forced to evacuate from the thick smoke.
"When I woke up I looked out my back window cause I smelled smoke and so I had all the kids get up," said Peggy Ruiz.
The concerned mother was not alone.
According to the Merced County Fire Department, about 25 people had to flee their homes when the fire broke out around 7:00 a.m. Sunday.
"I thought it was going to blow, so me and the kids ran out," said Ruiz.
The fire was so powerful, she could feel the heat inside her apartment.
"The smoke was really really strong and in here it was really really hot," said Ruiz.
Firefighters allowed the 100 thousand square foot building at the intersection of Highways 140 and 33 to keep burning.
"The building was vacant for quite a few years and getting inside of it would have been dangerous," said Gustine Fire Chief Pat Borrelli.
No one was hurt in the fire, which caused two highways to be shutdown.
Crews worked to prevent the flames from spreading from the plant, built back in 1935, to neighboring buildings, causing quite the spectacle.
"Like 20 feet high, the flames, it was pretty high," said Jose Mendoza who lives nearby.
The former creamery was valued at $5.5 million.
As of Sunday night, the cause of the fire was not yet determined.