Explosions at California fireworks facility just days from July 4 as raging blaze forces residents to evacuate
A warehouse packed with fireworks erupted in a massive explosion on Tuesday evening, sending a towering plume of grey smoke into the sky as evacuations was activated across parts of rural Yolo County, in northern California.
According to the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, the explosion happened near County Road 23 and County Road 86A, close to the communities of Esparto and Madison.
A mandatory evacuation zone was ordered within a one-mile radius of the fire while emergency responders rushed to contain the blaze that saw fireworks uncontrollably firing off in all directions, just days ahead of the July 4 holiday.
The fireball launched debris into the air and caused even more pyrotechnics to detonate above the site.
The Solano County Office of Emergency Services confirmed the site involved a fireworks facility, while Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit reported ground and air resources were working to stop the fire from spreading into surrounding fields close to Highway 16 and Oakdale Lane.
A warehouse packed with fireworks erupted in a massive explosion on Tuesday evening
The facility was seen with lingering black smoke above as the fire raged on, with a local news helicopter filming the chaos below
The blast sent a towering plume of grey smoke into the sky
‘Our Public Safety Partners are currently investigating the cause of the large explosions near the Esparto area,’ Winters police said in a social media statement shortly after 6pm.
Roads in the area were shut down as multiple agencies converged on the scene.
Videos posted to social media showed a massive column of smoke billowing up to 15,000ft into the air making it visible for miles around.
Several explosions appeared to engulf some of the warehouse structures on the property. The fire also appeared to set off additional spot fires in nearby fields with a combined burn area of approximately 80 acres, the Esparto Fire Protection District said during a Tuesday night news conference.
‘All we felt was everything shake,’ said Bryan Sandoval, a resident of Esparto to the Sacramento Bee.
Sandoval was at his home when the explosion occurred noting how his home was not damaged but that he and his family evacuated along with others in the neighborhood.
The smoke could be seen billowing up to 15,000 feet into the air above Yolo County in northern California
The smoke generated by the blast could be seen for miles around the mainly rural area
A Cal Fire helicopter can be seen taking off as it flies out to respond to the blaze
This satellite image shows the extent of the fireworks factory from above. Very little remains
Officials have not yet said what triggered the explosions, and there was no immediate word on injuries.
The sheriff’s office set up a one-mile evacuation order around the area where the fire was burning.
‘At this time, the cause of the explosion remains unknown,’ the Sheriff’s Office said, adding that updates will be shared as the investigation continues.
By 7:30pm Pacific Time firefighters had managed to prevent the blaze from spreading any further.
Arson and bomb investigators with the Office of the State Fire Marshal are helping to investigate the cause.
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.
