Multiple explosions obliterated a fireworks facility Tuesday in the Esparto area of Yolo County, causing nearby evacuations and power outages. It began with a call of a structure fire at 5:49 p.m. along County Road 23 and County Road 86A. As LiveCopter 3 was heading to the area, it could already see a massive plume of black smoke from miles away. Flames forced the fireworks to ignite, leading to several explosions engulfing at least two homes and several vehicles on the property, also leading to nearby spot vegetation fires.
Cal Fire named one of the fires the Oakdale Fire, which started at 6:02 p.m. As of 6:45 a.m., it has burned at least 78.3 acres. Reporter Mike TeSelle is back at the scene Wednesday morning and did not see large active flames, only lingering smoke. If the acreage does change for the Oakdale Fire, it is unlikely to be a significant change. The explosions posed a danger to firefighters who responded to the area, and crews had to push back and let the fire burn as explosions ravaged the facility for hours.
In a press briefing just after 9 p.m., Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said that crews would maintain a safe perimeter around the main fire throughout the night, while putting out spot fires around the area. Cal Fire crews who were responding to a fire in Vacaville, around 25 miles away, told KCRA 3 that they saw the smoke plume and began directing personnel that way. The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the building that exploded was a warehouse storing fireworks.
