The Tuesday night explosion set off multiple fireworks and caused a large blaze that led to other spot fires and collapsed the building.
ESPARTO, Calif. — Seven people were missing Wednesday following an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in rural northern California that caused a massive fire and forced evacuations, authorities said.
Emergency crews and investigators were working with the property’s owner and monitoring the area using drones to find the individuals, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
It was not immediately clear if those missing worked at the warehouse or lived nearby.
People were urged to avoid the area for several days following the Tuesday night blast, which set off a barrage of fireworks and caused a huge blaze that led to other spot fires and collapsed the building in the farming community about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento.
The cause of the explosion was under investigation.
“The fire will take time to cool, and once it does, explosive experts must safely enter the site to assess and secure the area,” the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The fire was held at nearly 80 acres (33 hectares) as of Wednesday morning after scorching surrounding agricultural fields, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
“We do believe this location is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Kara Garrett told KXTV in Sacramento. She added: “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.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said it was tracking what happened and that state ground and air resources were deployed.
“The State Fire Marshal has sent an arson and bomb investigation team, and stands ready to provide additional support as needed,” the governor’s office said on the social site X.
Among the people waiting to hear more answers about the fire is Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
“What happened at that facility that would have sparked such a significant explosion and for it to transfold so very, very quickly? And, I think that’s what we’re eager to know. Again, the firework industry has an impeccable record when it comes to safety, and so getting to the bottom of what sparked this particular incident is very important to us,” Heckman said.
She said there are very restrictive guidelines that determine how fireworks can be stored, even factoring in a table of distance based on the composition or weight of the pyrotechnics.
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