Authorities have not identified the missing individuals or confirmed if they were working at the facility during the explosion.
Seven people remain missing following a fire and explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Esparto, California, on Tuesday evening, according to CAL FIRE and local emergency agencies.
The blast occurred at 6:02 p.m. local time, but the cause is yet to be determined. CAL FIRE, the Esparto Fire Protection District, and the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services are investigating.
Authorities have not identified the missing individuals or confirmed if they were working at the facility during the explosion. “I woke up out of a dead sleep and I thought it was an earthquake,” Julian Grant, a nearby resident, told KTVU-TV. “The cement, the ground, the stairways — everything shook.”
CAL FIRE said it is reviewing whether the facility complied with state and federal explosive storage regulations. “This type of incident is very rare,” officials noted.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire was still burning across 78 acres. Evacuation orders remain in place.
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