ESPARTO, Calif. — Multiple Northern California cities and counties are exploring alternative Fourth of July celebration options after a massive explosion and fire erupted at a fireworks warehouse in Esparto Tuesday.
The Yuba-Sutter Fireworks Show has been rescheduled to Saturday, July 5, at Beckwourth Riverfront Park in Marysville. It will start between 9:30-9:45 p.m.
- Cloverdale Lions Club posted on Facebook Wednesday morning saying its annual July 4 fireworks show would be canceled after the explosion destroyed the fireworks for their show.
- Lodi also confirmed this year’s Lodi Lake Fireworks Show has been canceled as a result of the explosion.
- 4th of July Family Blast in Placerville at the El Dorado County Fair & Event Center has been canceled.
- Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico announced its annual Fast Cars and Freedom event on July 4 has been canceled due to the the explosion. Tickets purchased for the event will be refunded to the card used, organizers said.
The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office says the explosion happened just before 6 p.m. near County Road 23 and County Road 86A. Deputies said a warehouse storing fireworks exploded, sparking a fire.
As of Wednesday morning, Cal Fire officials confirmed seven people are unaccounted for.
Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire’s State Fire Marshal, says he’s never seen anything like the warehouse blaze in California, even with his 20 or so years in the state.
Berlant said the fire is at a business involved in importing and exporting fireworks and commercial fireworks.
“We do believe this location is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder, and as part of our investigation, we will be working to determine that everything happening at the facility was within our license requirements,” said California Deputy Fire Marshal Kara Garrett. “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.”
The cause of the explosion and fire is still under investigation.
