Explosion rocks fireworks warehouse in Northern California, sparks massive fire
The Yolo County Sheriff's Office said the blast occurred in the rural community of Esparto, roughly 40 miles northwest of Sacramento.
At a press briefing shortly after 9 p.m., Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said crews would maintain a safe perimeter around the main fire overnight while working to extinguish smaller spot fires in the area.
Witnesses reported hearing a large explosion followed by repeated bursts of fireworks shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday. Several streets were shut down, and emergency dispatchers received numerous calls about the incident.
'As many of you may have heard, there was a significant explosion earlier today near the Esparto/Madison area,' the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The Yolo County Office of Emergency Services confirmed the building was a commercial fireworks facility. The Winters Police Department also noted several 'large explosions' occurred during the event.
Some people at the scene told CBS Sacramento they feared loved ones may have been inside the facility when it exploded and that they hadn't been able to reach them since. When pressed by reporters during the evening briefing, law enforcement officials declined to say whether anyone had been injured or killed.
'We do believe this location is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder, and as part of our investigation, we will be working to determine that everything happening at the facility was within our license requirements,' California Deputy Fire Marshal Kathy Garrett told ABC 10. '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.'
Cal Fire named the blaze the Oakdale Fire. It quickly spread into the nearby vegetation near Highway 16 and Oakdale Ranch Lane.
Fire crews from Esparto, Madison, and Winters responded, along with Cal Fire ground and air units.
Authorities established a one-mile evacuation zone around the site. Forward progress of the vegetation fire was halted after burning approximately 78 acres.
'We urge everyone to avoid the area so that fire crews and emergency responders can safely do their work,' the sheriff's office said.
'At this time, the cause of the explosion remains unknown,' the sheriff's office added. 'The Yolo County Sheriff's Office will share updates as more information becomes available.'
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The fields surrounding a fireworks facility are littered with debris on July 2, the day after an explosion leveled the site near Esparto, Calif., in Yolo County. Yolo County officials want the state attorney general's office to join the investigation into a deadly fireworks explosion at a pyrotechnic company due to what many locals see as a potential conflict of interest after it was revealed that two Yolo County Sheriff's Office employees owned the property where the company caught fire, killing seven people. On Friday, Yolo County Chair Mary Vixie Sandy wrote to Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta's office, asking that he join the investigation over a 'strong public perception of conflicts' with the Sheriff's Office and the ongoing probe into the deadly industrial accident. There have been no criminal charges filed in connection to the explosion and fire that ripped through a pyrotechnic company warehouse in the rural farming community of Esparto, Calif., on July 1. 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Families hold vigil after seven found dead in fireworks factory explosion The Ramos family has been holding a vigil near the site of a fireworks facility explosion where authorities uncovered seven bodies. The family still has no answers about the cause of the explosion or confirmation if their family members are among the dead. Family members of the victims say their relatives were hired to package fireworks in the days leading up to the Fourth of July weekend at the Esparto warehouse. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Their remains were pulled from the site several days following the explosion and after explosive experts safely ignited the remaining hazardous materials. 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