According to TR N NGUY N and CHRISTOPHER WEBER
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Days after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California rocked a small farming hamlet and caused the cancelation of adjacent July Fourth celebrations, rescue crews were looking for seven individuals who were still missing on Thursday.
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Tuesday’s explosion of fireworks set up a huge fire in Yolo County, roughly 40 miles northwest of Sacramento, which destroyed the building and sparked several spot flames.
About a mile from the explosion site in rural Esparto, family members gathered outside a sheriff’s checkpoint in the hopes of hearing from their loved ones. Pregnant Syanna Ruiz stated that when the explosion happened, her boyfriend, Jesus Ramos, 18, was on his first day of work at the warehouse. According to her, the Ramos brothers, Johnny Ramos, 22, and Junior Melendez, 28, were also unaccounted for.
Ruiz told the Sacramento Bee on Wednesday, “I’m just praying to God that somehow, somehow, they’re okay.”
According to officials, two persons received medical attention for injuries. Investigations were underway to determine the cause of the explosion.
A screenshot of the company’s website before it was taken down stated that Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has over 30 years of experience planning and creating fireworks displays in the Bay Area, was in charge of managing the warehouse. The company, which has offices in Esparto and San Francisco, specializes in display fireworks for large-scale events rather than retail sales.
The business released a statement saying, “Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community.” Those who have been directly affected by this tragedy will continue to be our top priority, and we will assist the appropriate authorities in their investigation.
Officials from the neighboring counties of Sutter and Yuba released a statement following Tuesday’s explosion, referring to the company as a valued partner and an integral component of our local fireworks festivities.
According to fire investigation specialist Richard Meier, living close to a fireworks warehouse always increases the risk of fire and explosion, but it becomes even more hazardous when explosives are used for big performances.
He added that such huge rockets can shoot up to a quarter of a mile, so you don’t want to live in the house next door.
According to Meier, the explosion might have been caused by anything from a neighboring brush fire to personnel using potentially igniting equipment. The size of the explosion may have also been influenced by fireworks that were kept too close together in big quantities.
Questions concerning whether the company was producing fireworks on-site and how many were kept in storage at the facility were not immediately answered by the company’s attorney.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, authorities were collaborating with the property’s owner and utilizing drones to monitor the region in search of the missing individuals while minor explosions persisted late Wednesday.
Officials reported that after scorching nearby agricultural fields, the fire was contained to about 80 acres.
This kind of occurrence is extremely uncommon because establishments like this must adhere to both federal explosive storage regulations and our strict California pyrotechnic rules, according to Cal Fire.
According to Nisa Gutierrez, who spoke to Sacramento CBS affiliate KOVR-TV, the blast was so powerful that it damaged the door frames and blasted apart her home’s doors.
She and her daughter were in their yard when their goats and pony scattered, almost knocking them over.
We feel the wave and hear a loud boom. Gutierrez stated. I mistook it for a bomb.
According to the statement, crews, including a team from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were trying to make it safe to enter the site in order to carry out recovery operations and support the investigation into the incident.
The office of Governor Gavin Newsom stated that it was monitoring the situation and that both air and ground resources from the state were used.
After their pyrotechnics were damaged in the explosion, officials in neighboring Sutter and Yuba counties said Wednesday they were looking into other options for Fourth of July celebrations.
In a statement, they stated, “This tragic incident is a sobering reminder of the many hands behind the scenes that help create joy for others.”
