California Fireworks Explosion Leaves 7 Missing; Investigation Underway

Seven people are missing after a fiery explosion tore through a fireworks facility in Esparto, a rural area about 40 miles west of Sacramento, California, Reuters reported late Wednesday, just days before the Fourth of July holiday, when fireworks use typically surges.

Huge Blast Rocks Esparto Just Before Fourth of July

According to the report, the blast was so powerful it completely leveled the warehouse-like building and sent a massive fireball into the sky, followed by a series of smaller explosions from ignited fireworks. Local media captured the dramatic scene from above, with black smoke billowing and pyrotechnics flashing in the sky.

Fire Burns Land, Injures Two

The blaze from the explosion charred approximately 78 acres of surrounding vegetation, Reuters quoted Jason Clay, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesperson, as saying. Two individuals were injured in what government officials called the “initial event.”

Esparto Fire Protection District Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence confirmed at a press conference that “seven other people were missing” and crews were working relentlessly to locate them.

Continuing Hazards Hinder Recovery Operations

The emergency crews were proceeding with caution, Lawrence said, because there were live fireworks were still being reported.

“I can say I have not seen anything like this,” Lawrence said, according to Reuters.

Drones and planes were deployed for search and rescue operations. Lawrence stressed that it was too early to determine when it would be safe to enter the site more completely.

“It’s difficult to get a clear answer of when that’s going to be and what that actually is,” he reportedly said.

Facility Was a Licensed Fireworks Business

The burnt building was identified as a licensed pyrotechnics business, but it remains unknown if it only stored or produced fireworks. Approximately 150 surrounding homes and farms lost electricity, and an evacuation zone was established around the site, as reported by Reuters. There was no immediate confirmation on whether the missing persons were employees.