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Fireworks factory explodes as fireball shoots rockets into sky while residents flee
Locals say they felt the ground tremble as the warehouse was engulfed by a huge fireball, firing fireworks into the sky and sending smoke soaring so high it could be seen for miles around
A warehouse packed with fireworks was completely destroyed in a massive explosion which forced nearby residents to flee their homes for safety.
The devastating blast tore through the building, causing it to engulf if a huge fireball which set rockets off into the sky. Pictures from the scene show massive plumes of smoke billowing above the warehouse in rural California, US.
Petrified locals said the ground trembled underfoot as the towering inferno burned overhead and spread to other buildings in the area. Families were evacuated as huge columns of smoke soared up to around 15,000ft and could be seen for miles around.
Authorities said it was too early to say if anyone had been injured, but confirmed that multiple buildings had been destroyed or damaged in the violent explosion which happened near the tiny communities of Esparto and Madison in Yolo County.
Esparto resident Bryan Sandoval, who was at home when he heard the blast, told a local paper: “All we felt was everything shake." He said his home was not damaged but he and his family evacuated along with others next door.
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene just before 6pm local time on Tuesday after the blast launched debris into the air and set fireworks firing off in all directions.
Horror footage of the scene shows white smoke billowing from the roof of the warehouse before it is engulfed by a fireball in a violent explosion. Fireworks burst in mid-air above the wreckage.
A massive column of smoke can be seen soaring up to 15,000ft into the sky, visible for miles around.
And videos captured the terrifying sight of rogue fireworks firing in every direction, igniting spot fires in dry grass and fields around the warehouse.
The flames quickly spread across an estimated 80 acres of surrounding land, threatening nearby highways and farmland, firefighters said.
By 7.30pm, crews had managed to halt the fire’s advance, but hot spots continued to smoulder overnight. The Yolo County Sheriff's Office issued a one-mile evacuation order shortly after the initial blast.
Explosions could still be seen in the area as of 10pm and an acrid smell wafted across the fields around evacuation area.
The office said that drones were being used to assess the wreckage, but added: “At this time, the cause of the explosion remains unknown."
Officials from the State Fire Marshal's arson and bomb investigation unit are working to find the cause of the fire. Esparto is a community of around 3,000 people and is almost 30 miles northwest of Sacramento, California.
Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit confirmed that both air and ground crews were deployed to stop the blaze from leaping into more rural land near Highway 16 and Oakdale Lane.
Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said: "A few commercial buildings well-involved, as well as numerous explosions and numerous spot fires throughout the area."
The explosion happened near the border between Esparto and Madison, which lies to the east, the sheriff’s office said.
It came just days ahead of the July 4 holiday as Americans celebrate Independence Day and fireworks demand peaks in the US and wildfire risk runs high.
Daily Star Sunday
Locals say they felt the ground tremble as the warehouse was engulfed by a huge fireball, firing fireworks into the sky and sending smoke soaring so high it could be seen for miles around
A warehouse packed with fireworks was completely destroyed in a massive explosion which forced nearby residents to flee their homes for safety.
The devastating blast tore through the building, causing it to engulf if a huge fireball which set rockets off into the sky. Pictures from the scene show massive plumes of smoke billowing above the warehouse in rural California, US.
Petrified locals said the ground trembled underfoot as the towering inferno burned overhead and spread to other buildings in the area. Families were evacuated as huge columns of smoke soared up to around 15,000ft and could be seen for miles around.
Authorities said it was too early to say if anyone had been injured, but confirmed that multiple buildings had been destroyed or damaged in the violent explosion which happened near the tiny communities of Esparto and Madison in Yolo County.
Esparto resident Bryan Sandoval, who was at home when he heard the blast, told a local paper: “All we felt was everything shake." He said his home was not damaged but he and his family evacuated along with others next door.
Emergency services were scrambled to the scene just before 6pm local time on Tuesday after the blast launched debris into the air and set fireworks firing off in all directions.
Horror footage of the scene shows white smoke billowing from the roof of the warehouse before it is engulfed by a fireball in a violent explosion. Fireworks burst in mid-air above the wreckage.
A massive column of smoke can be seen soaring up to 15,000ft into the sky, visible for miles around.
And videos captured the terrifying sight of rogue fireworks firing in every direction, igniting spot fires in dry grass and fields around the warehouse.
The flames quickly spread across an estimated 80 acres of surrounding land, threatening nearby highways and farmland, firefighters said.
By 7.30pm, crews had managed to halt the fire’s advance, but hot spots continued to smoulder overnight. The Yolo County Sheriff's Office issued a one-mile evacuation order shortly after the initial blast.
Explosions could still be seen in the area as of 10pm and an acrid smell wafted across the fields around evacuation area.
The office said that drones were being used to assess the wreckage, but added: “At this time, the cause of the explosion remains unknown."
Officials from the State Fire Marshal's arson and bomb investigation unit are working to find the cause of the fire. Esparto is a community of around 3,000 people and is almost 30 miles northwest of Sacramento, California.
Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit confirmed that both air and ground crews were deployed to stop the blaze from leaping into more rural land near Highway 16 and Oakdale Lane.
Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said: "A few commercial buildings well-involved, as well as numerous explosions and numerous spot fires throughout the area."
The explosion happened near the border between Esparto and Madison, which lies to the east, the sheriff’s office said.
It came just days ahead of the July 4 holiday as Americans celebrate Independence Day and fireworks demand peaks in the US and wildfire risk runs high.
Daily Star Sunday