Seven people were missing after a fire and a massive explosion leveled a commercial fireworks facility in rural northern California, authorities said on Wednesday.
Aerial footage from local media outlets showed the large, warehouse-like building being blown to pieces on Tuesday evening in a huge, intense fireball that rocked a wide area around the Yolo County community of Esparto, about 40 miles (64 km) west of the state capital, Sacramento.
The blast, which spewed a thick plume of black smoke, was followed by dozens of smaller explosions flashing across the sky above the site, apparently from the stockpile of fireworks stored at the location.
The resulting blaze from the explosion scorched about 78 acres (32 hectares) of surrounding vegetation, according to Jason Clay, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Two people injured in the "initial event" received medical treatment, and seven others were missing, Curtis Lawrence, fire chief for the Esparto Fire Protection District, told reporters at a news briefing on Wednesday, some 24 hours later.
The cause of the incident, which occurred three days before the U.S. Independence Day holiday on July 4th that is traditionally marked by fireworks displays, was under investigation by the state fire marshal's office, Lawrence said.
Authorities said firefighters and other emergency responders were keeping a safe distance from the site as crews continued to assess ongoing risks posed by live fireworks, which continued to go off randomly into Wednesday evening.
Crews were flying drones and aircraft over the area to try to determine the fate of the missing people and to monitor for lingering hazards, Lawrence said.
Authorities declined to say whether the missing were facility workers or bystanders, but he said there were no casualties among firefighters or other emergency personnel.
"I can say that I've never seen anything like this," Lawrence said.
Asked how authorities would know when it was safe enough to venture deeper into the site, he said, "It's difficult to have a firm answer on when that is and what that actually looks like."
An evacuation zone was established around the site, and about 150 homes and farms lost power due to the incident, Lawrence said.
He described the destroyed facility as a licensed fireworks business involved with commercial-grade fireworks sold for public displays. But it was not immediately clear if fireworks were only stored there or also manufactured at the location.
Source: (Reporting by: Steve Gorman in Los Angeles)
