Explosion at California fireworks warehouse sparks wildfire, triggers evacuations
Explosion at fireworks warehouse sends smoke plume into sky
An explosion on July 1 at a warehouse storing fireworks outside Esparto, California, sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky, dramatic bystander video showed. (Credit: @peps_mancave via Storyful)
An explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California rocked a quiet neighborhood and sparked a wildfire late Tuesday afternoon near the communities of Esparto and Madison, California, some 35 miles west of Sacramento, according to officials.
No injuries have been reported.
Neighbors posted video on social media of an ominous cloud hanging over the community that looked almost like a volcanic eruption.
According to the Yolo County Sheriff's Office, the warehouse exploded and continued to burn through Tuesday night. The fire, which has been designated as the Oakdale Fire, has reached more than 78 acres, according to CAL FIRE.
A 1-mile evacuation area remains in place around the scene. The Sheriff's Office said people in Madison are being allowed to return home on Wednesday after Tuesday's evacuation orders.
FILE - An explosion on July 1 at a warehouse storing fireworks outside Esparto, California, sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky, dramatic bystander video showed. (Credit: @peps_mancave via Storyful)
The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Yolo County is not currently in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.