California fireworks warehouse explosion causes fire
See the moment pyrotechnics and debris are sent flying into the air in Northern California after a warehouse explosion.
Seven people are unaccounted for after a Northern California fireworks factory exploded Tuesday, July 1, according to officials.
Officials confirmed a “significant explosion” Tuesday afternoon at a warehouse storing fireworks in Yolo County, California, northwest of Sacramento.
The blast, which started shortly after 6 p.m., caused fires at several structures as well as multiple grass fires with a combined spread of 80 acres, Esparto Fire Protection District confirmed Tuesday evening.
The county’s emergency services office said seven individuals are still “unaccounted for” as of Wednesday, July 2, according to Cal Fire and the Esparto Fire Protection District.
“First responders and investigators are working diligently with the property owner to determine the whereabouts of those individuals,” the agencies wrote in a joint news release posted Wednesday, July 2.
Officials believe the facility is owned by someone with an active pyrotechnic license, but will work to determine the owner properly met license requirements.
“This type of incident is very rare, as facilities like this are required to not only follow our stringent California pyrotechnic requirements, but also federal explosive storage requirements,” the news release stated.
Evacuation orders still in place
The blast prompted evacuations and an ongoing investigation into the cause, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook Tuesday.
The risk to nearby residents is reduced, yet evacuation orders remain in place, NBC News reported.
“Site assessment is ongoing to assess the hazards. It is the goal to get residents back to their homes and possibly reduce the footprint of that evacuation zone,” Yolo County spokesperson Laura Galindo told NBC News.
Contributing: Julia Gomez, USA TODAY
