In a pre-Fourth of July display on Tuesday, fireworks kept in a warehouse in Northern California exploded in a huge explosion that started a wildfire, momentarily forcing local neighbors to evacuate.
According to police, the explosion caused other surrounding spot fires, which in turn launched the Oakdale fire in Esparto, which is around 35 miles northwest of Sacramento, at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
While they look into what caused the explosion, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office advised locals to stay away from the area for a few days.
According to a Facebook post from the Sheriff’s Office, explosive specialists must safely enter the scene once the flames has subsided in order to evaluate and secure the location.
Helicopter footage from KCRA showed a burning warehouse with brilliant sparks shooting out of the structure followed by a massive explosion, and footage of the warehouse where the explosion happened showed plumes of thick black smoke emerging from the facility.
California
In response to the cops blowing up their South L.A. neighborhood while setting off a stockpile of fireworks, the City Council unanimously approved settlements with over a dozen residents.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection issued evacuation orders for residents in Madison and Esparto through Wednesday morning. Video posted on social media revealed that at least two noncommercial buildings were burning in the fire, which began in a warehouse with a sparse population.
The Oakdale fire, which is burning in weather that is conducive to fire, had spread to 78 acres by Wednesday morning and was still uncontained.
According to the National Weather Service, the Esparto region will experience temperatures as high as 99 degrees and lows as low as the 60s. Through Wednesday, above-normal temperatures are predicted to persist, posing a moderate risk of heat throughout the area.
The incident is the most recent illustration of how rapidly a fireworks disaster may get worse.
In 2020, at a gender-reveal party in San Bernardino County, a couple detonated a firework.A 22,000-acre fire that killed a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter, burned five homes, and forced hundreds to leave was started by the special event.
