Seven people are missing following an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in rural Northern California that caused a massive fire that spread to farm fields and forced evacuations in the surrounding community, 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 after yesterday’s blast, which set off a barrage of fireworks and caused a huge blaze that led to other spot fires and collapsed the building near Esparto in Yolo County about 64km northwest of Sacramento.

The explosion happened close to the communities of Esparto and Madison in northern California at around 6pm on Tuesday (local time). (Source: Other)

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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 statement yesterday.

The fire was held at nearly 33ha as of this morning after scorching surrounding agricultural fields, officials said.

The property is owned by “an active pyrotechnic license holder”, Cal Fire said in a statement. “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.”

Smoke and flames rise at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, California. (Source: KGO via AP)

The state fire marshal’s website listed the license for the facility as belonging to Blackstar Fireworks. The owner who was listed did not respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said it was tracking what happened and that state ground and air resources were deployed.

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“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.

Fireworks explode at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, California. (Source: Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)

Officials in nearby Sutter and Yuba counties announced they were exploring alternatives for Fourth of July celebrations after their fireworks were destroyed in the blast.

Here’s what to know nearly 24 hours after explosion at Yolo County fireworks facility

Here’s what to know nearly 24 hours after explosion at Yolo County fireworks facility

Here’s what to know nearly 24 hours after explosion at Yolo County fireworks facility

Seven people are “unaccounted for” after several explosions at a fireworks warehouse resulted in a fire in Northern California’s Yolo County, officials said.

It happened Tuesday evening in the community of Esparto at Devastating Pyrotechnics. The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the building was a fireworks warehouse in the area of county roads 23 and 86A.

Here’s a look at the facility before and after the explosions.

Yolo County officials issued mandatory evacuations for a one-mile stretch as a result of the fire. The evacuation area is on the south side of Highway 16, stretching south to County Road 25 and stretching west from Tutt Street to County Road 85B. The small community of Madison was also in the evacuation zone, but residents have since been allowed to return home.

Several structures on the property caught fire after the explosions, with the flames spreading into multiple grass fires with a combined burn area of approximately 80 acres, the Esparto Fire Protection District said in a Tuesday night news conference. The initial explosion happened around 5:50 p.m.

CBS Sacramento spoke to some people who said they had loved ones believed to have been inside the facility at the time of the incident, but they had not been able to contact them. In an update late Wednesday morning, Cal Fire said seven people were not accounted for and that first responders are working to determine their whereabouts.

Syanna Ruiz, 18, said her boyfriend and two brothers-in-law are missing. She said that her boyfriend, Jesus Ramos, 18, had his first day on the job at the facility on Tuesday.

Officials have not confirmed the identities of the seven people unaccounted for.

“We last spoke to them around 2 or 3 when they were supposed to be leaving and then we found out about it through a report or something on Instagram and we came instantly,” Ruiz said. “Praying to God that they’re alive and maybe they just need medical attention.”

Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence said two people were injured and received medical care. He said no firefighters have been injured.

Law enforcement officials said streets around the evacuation zone and leading into the facility were shut down.

Road closures remain in effect for the following stretches, however: County Road 86A at County Road 25, County Road 86A at State Route 16, County Road 23 at County Road 87B, and County Road 86 at County Road 23.

CBS News San Francisco’s chopper was in the region due to a grass fire in nearby Vacaville. The chopper flew by the Esparto fire and captured images of the flames.

CBS News San Francisco

Cal Fire LNU sent crews into the area to assist with the fire. Cal Fire will be taking the lead in the investigation.

What we know about Devastating Pyrotechnics .

Devastating Pyrotechnics has an active fireworks license as an importer and exporter, according to state records. It also has an active license for public displays.

The Esparto warehouse was cited as a storage facility for commercial fireworks.

Fire officials said they have been to the Esparto warehouse for safety checks in the past, but did not provide information on whether there were any safety concerns or when the last time the business was checked.

Devastating Pyrotechnics released the following statement on its website shortly before 6 p.m. on the matter:

“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”

Aside from the two injuries reported by law enforcement, there have been no confirmed deaths.

A previous version of the website stated the business has another location in San Francisco and has been serving Northern California for 30 years. The website now only shows the statement released by the business.

The statement also refers all further inquiries to a lawyer. CBS Sacramento has reached out to the lawyer for further comment but has not yet heard back.

Where are Esparto and Yolo County located in California?

Yolo County borders the west side of Sacramento County. Esparto is a small, rural town located about 14 miles west of the city of Woodland in Yolo County and about 35 miles northwest of the city of Sacramento.

Some residents of the area told CBS Sacramento that windows to their homes were rattled by at least two separate explosions. Some described their house shaking like during an earthquake, with explosions going off seemingly every five minutes.

Nearly 2,200 Pacific Gas and Electric customers in the area were left without power due to the incident. PG&E’s online outage map showed that more than 150 customers were still without power as of Wednesday afternoon.

Smoke plume from the explosion and fire CBS News San Francisco

CBS Sacramento’s First Alert Weather Team confirmed the smoke plume from the initial explosion reached between 10,000 and 15,000 feet in elevation.

Hear this story

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

The Brief Family says three brothers, Jesus Ramos, Johnny Ramos, and Joel Melendez, are among the seven people missing after the explosion. Jesus Ramos’s girlfriend said she’s pregnant and Jesus had just started working at the fireworks warehouse to help earn money for their baby. Officials said the site is a licensed fireworks business.

Among those missing after an explosion and fire at a fireworks warehouse in Yolo County are three brothers who had recently started working at the facility, according to family members.

Brothers had just started working at the warehouse

What they’re saying:

Syanna Ruiz said her 18-year-old boyfriend, Jesus Maneces Ramos, is one of seven people unaccounted for following the explosion Tuesday evening in Esparto, a small agricultural town part of the Sacramento metropolitan area.

The explosion occurred at a licensed fireworks storage facility near County Road 23 and County Road 86, authorities said. The specific name of the company has not been confirmed by fire officials.

Ruiz, who is expecting a baby with Ramos, said it was his first day on the job. He wanted to earn money to prepare for their child’s arrival.

“I’m only two months pregnant, but he was so excited,” she said. “That was the main reason why he wanted to start working, was just for our family.”

Ramos was supposed to get off work at 2 p.m. The explosion was reported around 5:50 p.m.

Ramos’ brother Ernesto said the family drove from San Francisco to Esparto after learning of the fire.

Loved ones said two other brothers, Johnny Ramos, 22, and Joel Melendez, 28, are also missing. They had both started working at the warehouse last week in preparation for the July Fourth holiday season.

Two people escaped the explosion and fire, while seven in total remain unaccounted for, authorities said.

“A good person,” Ruiz said of her boyfriend. “A kind soul who cared so much about people, who put other people before himself.”

Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said crews arrived at the facility shortly around 6 p.m. to find the warehouse engulfed in flames, with multiple explosions occurring.

Fireworks were seen going off amid the flames, some of which were captured on video.

Firefighters can’t enter the site yet

Local perspective:

Cal Fire spokesperson Jason Clay said it was still too dangerous to enter the site as of Wednesday afternoon.

“We do have aerial reconnaissance going on, and that is a big part of the investigation,” Clay said.

The cause of the explosion has not been determined.

Fireworks facility was licensed

Dig deeper:

Officials confirmed the site is a licensed fireworks business but did not release the company’s name.

“We know the company is a professional pyrotechnics company that does large fireworks,” Lawrence said.

However, a joint statement from the cities of Marysville and Yuba City, along with Sutter and Yuba counties, identified the operator as Devastating Pyrotechnics, according to KCRA 3. The company’s website and social media accounts appeared inactive as of Wednesday, and officials could not be reached for comment.

Yolo County officials said they are working with the pyrotechnic license holder to ensure compliance with state and federal explosive storage regulations.

Smoke and flames rise at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, Calif., on Tuesday.

Seven people are missing after multiple explosions at a warehouse in Northern California that sent bright fireworks across the area and ignited a brush fire.

The location is owned by an active pyrotechnics license holder, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Emergency crews were searching the property for the missing individuals Wednesday, and investigators were also surveying the area with drones.

Authorities have not identified any of the missing, but relatives said some were working at the warehouse.

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News footage showed the explosions were sparked by a fire at the pyrotechnics facility, which is in the rural Yolo County community of Esparto about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento.

Residents in Esparto and some in Madison remained under an evacuation order as of Wednesday afternoon due to the burning pyrotechnic materials.

Although “there is a reduced risk today” of the brush fire spreading to homes, it’s “a risk that still remains,” Cal Fire said in a news release.

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Officials are working to determine that everything done at the warehouse was in line with license requirements for a pyrotechnics facility.

“This type of incident is very rare, as facilities like this are required to not only follow our stringent California pyrotechnics requirements, but also federal explosive storage requirements,” Cal Fire said.

On Wednesday, family members of some of the missing waited at a checkpoint for answers as emergency crews continued to search the area.

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One of those waiting was Syanna Ruiz, who said her boyfriend, Jesus Ramos, 18, was working at the warehouse on Tuesday when the fire started, according to reporting from the Sacramento Bee. She identified two others who were still missing: Ramos’ brother, Johnny Ramos, and his stepbrother, Junion Menendez.

“They were all three incredible men who had so much … coming their way,” Ruiz told reporters. “I’m just praying to God that some way, somehow, they’re OK, that they’re just unable to communicate with us at the moment.”

The warehouse fire and its explosive aftermath came just days before the Fourth of July holiday. The fire chief of the Esparto Fire Protection District, Curtis Lawrence, said in an update Wednesday that crews who responded to the incident found “commercial buildings well involved and numerous explosions.”

The explosions sent debris across the area that ignited multiple spot fires, according to officials.

A blaze ignited by the explosions, dubbed the Oakdale fire, started about 6 p.m. Tuesday in Esparto, authorities said.

The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to avoid the area for several days while it investigates the cause of the blast.

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“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 Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

Video of the warehouse where the explosions occurred showed plumes of thick black smoke emanating from the structure, and helicopter video from KCRA-TV showed a burning warehouse with bright sparks shooting out of the structure, followed by a large explosion.

The fire started in a sparsely populated area in the warehouse and video shared on social media showed at least two noncommercial buildings burning in the blaze.

By Wednesday night, the Oakdale fire was at 78 acres with no containment as it was burning in fire-friendly weather conditions.

San José Mayor Matt Mahan told KCBS 106.9 FM/740 AM that the fireworks for a Fourth of July show planned at San José’s Lake Cunningham were lost in the Yolo County incident.

The show is “unlikely to be able to move forward as a fireworks show,” Mahan told the radio station. A festival will still be held at the site — near the home of CaliBunga Waterpark, formerly known as Raging Waters. Officials are looking at the possibility of putting together a last-minute drone show.

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“We’re praying for the folks who are directly affected by this terrible tragedy. It’s just heartbreaking,” Mahan told the radio station.

Fireworks shows are still expected Friday at other area venues, such as Excite Ballpark following a San José Giants minor league baseball game, and at the California’s Great America theme park in Santa Clara.

Forecasts show the Esparto area will see temperatures reach up to 99 degrees with lows expected in the lower 60s, according to the National Weather Service. Above-normal temperatures are expected to linger through Wednesday, bringing moderate heat risks across the region.

The incident is the latest example of how quickly a fireworks mishap can turn from bad to worse.

In 2020, a couple set off a pyrotechnic during a gender-reveal party in San Bernardino County. The special occasion sparked a 22,000-acre fire that killed a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter, destroyed five homes and forced hundreds to evacuate.

Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.