‘It was like an earthquake’: Esparto homes damaged after fireworks facility explosion
THE DAMAGE. IT WAS LIKE ALMOST LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE. THE WHOLE HOUSE SHOOK. HEAR THAT EXPLOSION? YOU COME OUT AND WHAT DO YOU SEE? JUST THIS HUGE COLUMN OF WHITE SMOKE. AND IT WAS CLIMBING TO 1000FT. IT WAS A SCENE WALTER LUCAS NEVER IMAGINED HE’D SEE OUTSIDE HIS ESPARTA HOME. BUT THEN I SAW THE FIREWORKS GOING OFF BEHIND THERE. AND I KNEW FOR 23 YEARS, LUCAS HAS LIVED NEXT TO THE DEVASTATING PYROTECHNICS FACILITY. EVERYTHING IS GONE NOW. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, YOU KNOW, ON NEW YEAR’S EVE AND WHATNOT, THEY PUT ON A REALLY NICE FIREWORKS SHOW. AND SO I, I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT UNTIL TUESDAY, WHEN MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS ERUPTED, KIND OF LIFTED MY WIFE OFF HER FEET. AND THEN EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE JUST STARTED BLOWING AROUND AND CRASHING, DAMAGING HIS FRONT DOOR AND OTHER PARTS OF HIS HOME. SO WHEN WE CAME BACK IN, WE STARTED LOOKING BACK IN THROUGH HERE AND WE SAW ALL OF THE WE SAW ALL OF THE VENTS THAT WERE POPPED UP ON THE FLOOR, AND WE ACTUALLY DIDN’T SEE THAT THIS WINDOW WAS BROKEN UNTIL ACTUALLY THIS MORNING. OUTSIDE HIS HOME. AND I JUST LOOKED UP INTO THE SKY AND YOU COULD JUST SEE HUGE CHUNKS OF METAL THOUSAND FEET IN THE AIR, JUST FLYING. DEBRIS IS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT HIS ALMOND ORCHARD, EITHER A SIDE OF A CONTAINER IS. THAT’S KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME. BUT THERE’S THERE’S JUST STUFF EVERYWHERE OUT HERE. LUCAS SHOWED US THE PIECES OF METAL THAT LANDED ON HIS PROPERTY. THAT’S NOT ROOFING TIN, THAT IS. IT’S IT’S CHUNKS OF METAL. NOW, THE DEVASTATION IS ALL THAT IS LEFT. HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SEE KIND OF WHAT’S LEFT NOW? YEAH, THERE’S NOT MUCH LEFT. IT’S PRETTY MUCH JUST KIND OF THE CARCASSES OF OF ALL THE BUILDINGS. I HAVE VERY MINOR PROBLEMS, MAN, COMPARED TO TO WHAT THOSE FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH. AND WE MENTIONED THAT THERE’S PEOPLE STILL WITHOUT POWER. THAT’S THEM. THEY HAVEN’T HAD POWER FOR THE LAST MORE THAN 24 HOURS. AND A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES OR THE HOUSES IN THESE AREAS RELY ON WELLS. AND SO THEY ALSO DON’T HAVE WATER. THEY SAY THEY DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN IT’S GOING TO BE RESTORED, BUT THEY’RE JUST GLAD THAT THEY’RE SAFE. THEY SAY THAT FIREFIGHTERS SET UP RIGHT OUTSIDE THEIR HOME, SO THEY NEVER REALLY EVACUATED, BUT THEY ARE STILL IN SHOCK AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PROCESS EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH. LIVE IN ESPARTA
A fireworks explosion at the Devastating Pyrotechnics facility in Esparto on Tuesday caused damage to nearby homes and scattered debris across the area.For 23 years, Walter Lucas has lived next to the fireworks facility and never imagined he’d witness a scene like this close to his home.”It was like an earthquake,” Lucas said. “The whole house shook.”MORE | What we know about the Esparto fireworks facility explosionThe explosion caused damage to his home and left debris scattered across his property.”I saw the fireworks going off behind there and I knew,” he said.Lucas said they’d occasionally have commercial fireworks shows from the facility. “Every once in a while, they put on a nice commercial fireworks show, so I never really thought about that,” he said.Fourth of July Impacts | The events affected by Esparto fireworks explosionsUntil Tuesday, when multiple explosions erupted, damaging their front door and breaking a window. “Everything in the house started blowing around and crashing,” Lucas said. “We didn’t realize the window was broken until this morning.”Outside his home, debris is scattered throughout his almond orchards. “I look up into the sky and you could see huge chunks of metal just flying,” he said.For more than 24 hours, Lucas and his wife have been without power or water as officials investigate the scene. Seven people are unaccounted for after multiple explosions obliterated a fireworks facility Tuesday in the Esparto area of Yolo County, Cal Fire said Wednesday.”I have minor problems compared to what those families are going through,” he said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
ESPARTO, Calif. —A fireworks explosion at the Devastating Pyrotechnics facility in Esparto on Tuesday caused damage to nearby homes and scattered debris across the area.
For 23 years, Walter Lucas has lived next to the fireworks facility and never imagined he’d witness a scene like this close to his home.
“It was like an earthquake,” Lucas said. “The whole house shook.”
MORE | What we know about the Esparto fireworks facility explosion
The explosion caused damage to his home and left debris scattered across his property.
“I saw the fireworks going off behind there and I knew,” he said.
Lucas said they’d occasionally have commercial fireworks shows from the facility.
“Every once in a while, they put on a nice commercial fireworks show, so I never really thought about that,” he said.
Fourth of July Impacts | The events affected by Esparto fireworks explosions
Until Tuesday, when multiple explosions erupted, damaging their front door and breaking a window.
“Everything in the house started blowing around and crashing,” Lucas said. “We didn’t realize the window was broken until this morning.”
Outside his home, debris is scattered throughout his almond orchards.
“I look up into the sky and you could see huge chunks of metal just flying,” he said.
For more than 24 hours, Lucas and his wife have been without power or water as officials investigate the scene.
Seven people are unaccounted for after multiple explosions obliterated a fireworks facility Tuesday in the Esparto area of Yolo County, Cal Fire said Wednesday.
“I have minor problems compared to what those families are going through,” he said.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
