Seven missing after California fireworks warehouse explosion

Authorities in California’s northern Yolo County on Wednesday said that seven people were missing after a series of explosions at a fireworks warehouse in Esparto near Sacramento. The blasts on Tuesday evening ignited an 80-acre wildfire and consumed several commercial buildings at the warehouse site., according to Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence. Evacuation orders for nearby areas were still in effect Wednesday.

Investigators did not immediately determine the cause of the explosion and were monitoring the active site with drones, Cal Fire said on Wednesday. The Office of the Fire Marshal said it believed the pyrotechnics facility was properly licensed and that such incidents were rare given both state and federal storage requirements. Several cities and counties stored their fireworks at the warehouse, according to local news.

Did the warehouse management comment on the disaster? Devastating Pyrotechnics, the company that owned the burnt facility, released a statement thanking first responders and expressing condolences to families who lost loved ones. The facility management said it was cooperating with the investigation.

What else happened after the explosion? The Esparto Volunteer Fire Department canceled its annual fireworks show due to the tragic events, it said. The Yuba and Sutter counties rescheduled their July 4 show to Saturday and found a new firework provider, as their fireworks were lost in the explosion, according to The Sacramento Bee.