A fireworks warehouse in California burst into flames and then exploded, sending fire and pyrotechnics into the air just days ahead of the Fourth of July.
The blast occurred on Tuesday at a storage facility in a Esparto, a mostly-rural region in Yolo County, located some 40 miles outside of Sacramento, Curtis Lawrence, the chief of the Esparto Fire Protection District, said during a news briefing. When first responders arrived on the scene just before 6 p.m., they were met with “numerous explosions and numerous wildfires throughout the area,” Lawrence added.
The flames spread nearly 80 acres, but Lawrence said firefighters got the smaller blazes under control while battling back the main fire inside the building. It prompted an evacuation order for those living within a 1-mile radius of the facility. Authorities have also urged residents to avoid the area for the next several days.
“The fire will take time to cool, and once it does, explosive experts must safely enter the site to assess and secure the area,” the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, but it does not appear to be criminal in nature.
“We do believe this location is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Kara Garrett told KXTV. She added: “This type of incident is very rare, as facilities like this are required to not only follow our stringent California pyrotechnic requirements, but also federal explosive storage requirements.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said it was tracking the fire and that both ground and air resources have been deployed.
“The State Fire Marshal has sent an arson and bomb investigation team, and stands ready to provide additional support as needed,” the statement said.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/07/02/california-fireworks-warehouse-explosion/