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Seven people were missing after multiple explosions at a warehouse in Northern California, sending bright fireworks throughout the area and igniting brush fires.
The location is owned by an active fireworks license holder, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. Emergency crews were searching the facility for missing individuals Wednesday, and investigators were also investigating the area with drones.
Authorities have not identified the missing person, but relatives said some people work in the warehouse.
News footage shows the explosion was caused by a fireworks facility in the Yolo County community in Esparto, about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento.
Esparto residents and parts of Madison remained evacuation orders Wednesday afternoon due to burning fireworks material.
“The risks today are diminishing,” but there is a risk of a brush fire spreading across the home, which is a “still remaining risk,” Cal Fire said in a news release.
Authorities are working to determine that everything done in the warehouse is in line with the fireworks facility licensing requirements.
“This type of incident is extremely rare because facilities like this need to follow not only our strict California fireworks requirements, but also the federal explosive storage requirements,” Cal Fire said.
On Wednesday, several missing families were waiting at checkpoints for answers as emergency crews continued searching the area.
According to a report from the Sacramento Bee, Syanna Ruiz, who said her boyfriend, Jesus Ramos, 18, had worked in the warehouse on Tuesday, was Syanna Ruiz. She has identified two other people who are still missing. and his brother, Johnny Ramos, and his brother-in-law, Junion Menendez;
“They were all three incredible men… they’ve gone their way,” Lewis told reporters. “I pray to God, somehow they’re fine and that they can’t communicate with us now.”
The warehouse fire and its explosive aftermath came just days before the holiday on July 4th. Curtis Lawrence, fire chief for the Esparto Fire Protection District, said in an update Wednesday that the crew in response to the incident discovered “a explosive explosion with a commercial building that was well involved.”
The explosion sent wreckage throughout the area that lit multiple spot fires, authorities said.
The flames that were ignited by the explosion were called the Oakdale fire and began in Esparto around 6pm Tuesday, authorities said.
The European County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to avoid the area for several days while investigating the cause of the blast.
“The fire takes time for it to cool down. Once an explosive expert needs to enter the site safely to assess and ensure the area,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Videos from the warehouse where the explosion occurred show thick black smoke feathers emanating from the structure, while KCRA-TV helicopter video shows a burning warehouse with bright sparks flying out of the structure, followed by a massive explosion.
The fire began in a sparsely populated area of warehouses, and videos shared on social media showed at least two non-commercial buildings burning in flames.
By Wednesday night, the Oakdale fire had been burning in fire-friendly weather conditions, so there was no containment.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan told KCBS 106.9 FM/740 AM that fireworks from the July 4 show, planned at Lake Cunningham in San Jose, was lost in the Yolo County Incident.
The show “is rarely moving forward like a fireworks show,” Mahan told the radio station. The festival is still on the site. It is near the home of Caribbeanga Water Park, formerly known as Raging Waters. Authorities are considering the possibility of putting together a last-minute drone show.
“We pray for those who are directly affected by this terrible tragedy. It’s just heartbreaking,” Mahan told the radio station.
Fireworks shows are expected on Friday at venues in other regions, including Excite Ball Park, which follows a minor league baseball game in San Jose, and California’s Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara.
Normal temperatures are expected to remain until Wednesday, poses moderate heat risk throughout the region.
This incident is the latest example of how quickly fireworks accidents can get worse from worse.
In 2020, a couple launched fireworks during the gender therapy party in San Bernardino County. The special occasion caused a fire of 22,000 acres, killing U.S. Forest Service Wildland Firefighters, destroying five homes, and forced hundreds to evacuate.
Times staff writer Longgonlin II contributed to this report.
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