Seven people remained unaccounted for Wednesday as investigators and fire crews continued assessing hazards at the site of multiple fireworks explosions that destroyed a pyrotechnics warehouse in rural Yolo County.
The Esparto Fire Protection District said there is a continued threat to the area near County Roads 23 and 86A, where the fire began just after 6 p.m. Tuesday and ignited what fire officials described as “numerous spot fires” around the warehouse property.
The area near the incident remained closed off as firefighters, Yolo County sheriff’s deputies and state explosives investigators worked to mop up the remaining embers and begin in earnest to comb the wreckage for victims and clues.
Family members, who have kept vigil since Tuesday night, remained as close to the scene as authorities would allow — seeking updates on their loved ones who were at the warehouse Tuesday evening.
Among those was Syanna Ruiz, who is pregnant and said her boyfriend, 18-year-old Jesus Ramos, was working his first day at the company when he disappeared. She stood crying alongside relatives of other missing individuals at a sheriff’s checkpoint outside the Dollar General along Highway 16 about a mile north of the blast site.
Ruiz said Ramos took the job to save money for their baby. She identified two of the other unaccounted-for individuals as Ramos’ brother, Johnny Ramos, and his stepbrother, Junior Menendez.
“They were all three incredible men who had so much coming for them, that had so much coming their way,” Ruiz said. “I’m just praying to God that some way, somehow, they’re OK, that they’re just unable to communicate with us at the moment.”
She said that authorities told the families they could expect an update by Saturday as investigators sift through the wreckage.
Cal Fire reported the main blaze in the incident reached 78 acres before crews stopped its forward spread by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for the Oakdale Fire, which damaged or destroyed several structures after it shook homes and vehicles for at least a 10-mile radius. The ensuing fireballs from ignited pyrotechnics sent a plume of smoke miles into the area that was visible in Vacaville, Woodland and Sacramento before sundown.
The site of the blasts was in far western Yolo County, about a mile south of the town of Esparto and 30 miles west of Sacramento.
“There is a reduced risk today, but a risk that still remains and thus the evacuation orders are in place,” Esparto fire officials said in a statement. “It is the goal to get residents back to their homes and possibly reduce the footprint of that evacuation zone.”
Those evacuation zones included MAD063-A and MAD149-B. Officials said the Yolo County Public Library in Esparto — 17065 Yolo Ave. — is open as an evacuation center and cooling zone.
Officials did not name the business involved in the conflagration but public records and regional government officials confirmed that the property on County Road 23 was being used by Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC, a San Francisco-based company known for staging large-scale fireworks displays across California and the U.S. Authorities did say the business held an active pyrotechnic license with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
During a news conference, Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence declined to provide details about the property at 26450 County Road 23. He described the situation as a “complex and ongoing incident” and deferred questions about cause and regulatory oversight to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The parcel at the center of the incident contained residential and commercial structures. According to public records, one of the buildings is the address of both Devastating Pyrotechnics and Craig Cutright, 60. Lawrence acknowledged he was a volunteer firefighter for Esparto.
According to state fire marshal records, Cutright has an active fireworks and explosives, pyrotechnic operator, basic commercial license. His name was featured in several news releases connected to Devastating Pyrotechnics from the South Bay.
Dramatic footage of the explosions dominated local newscasts and social media Tuesday night. KCRA’s live aerial footage captured the moment one of the buildings exploded in a fireball as anchors reacted in real time.
In a joint statement, officials from the city of Marysville, city of Yuba City, and Sutter and Yuba counties acknowledged the incident and confirmed that fireworks meant for their upcoming Independence Day celebrations were destroyed in the blaze. The company was also contracted with several other municipalities across the capital region and Northern California, and the status of those shows was not immediately clear.
“Devastating Pyrotechnics has been a trusted partner and a cherished part of our regional fireworks celebrations,” the Yuba-Sutter officials said in their statement. “This tragic incident is a sobering reminder of the many hands behind the scenes who help create joy for others.” Local officials said they are exploring alternative plans for July 4 but could not confirm if the fireworks portions of the events would proceed.
Calls and messages to officials of the company were not immediately returned.
Esparto Fire officials said drones were being used to assess hazards and aid in the investigation, and that an interagency operational briefing would be held. In the meantime, fire officials urged the public to share any video or photos from the area before or after the explosion to aid investigators.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal, a division of Cal Fire, emphasized that incidents like this are rare due to stringent licensing standards. Still, the agency said its team would investigate whether activities at the site complied with both state and federal regulations.
Cal Fire spokesperson Jason Clay said the investigation would be “lengthy.”
Authorities said the area remains too dangerous for crews to search for the seven missing people. “The risk is just too high,” Lawrence said. “It’s a once-in-a-career type of incident.”
Lawrence said the all-volunteer department responded within two minutes of the explosion and has since used drone footage to identify large pieces of shrapnel and building debris scattered across the site.
His current priority, he said, was reducing the evacuation zone footprint to allow residents to return home — a stance that drew concern from families still awaiting word on missing loved ones.
Ruiz, who stood with other family members at the back of a orchard where an afternoon briefing was held, criticized the response.
“You guys should be more worried about finding the people first and then worrying about the people when evacuating,” she said from behind the media scrum. “Those are people who possibly lost their lives because of you guys not doing your job.”
The Esparto chief responded, acknowledging the difficulty of the situation and saying personnel were doing the best they could.