Human remains found after explosion, fire at California warehouse filled with fireworks

(ESPARTO, Calif) — Human remains have been found at the warehouse filled with fireworks that exploded in Northern California this week, officials said.

The number of fatalities was not released and no positive identifications have been made, Yolo County officials said. Seven people were considered missing on Wednesday.

“Recovery efforts are expected to continue throughout the weekend as investigators, coroner personnel, and fire crews work carefully and respectfully through the process,” county officials said on Friday. “The Coroner’s Office has been in contact with the families of those previously reported missing and will continue to provide them with timely updates as information becomes available.”

The blast occurred Tuesday night at a pyrotechnics facility in Esparto, about 40 miles from Sacramento, triggering a series of massive explosions, according to fire authorities.

Cal Fire and the Esparto Fire Protection District said crews were working to find the missing.

“We obviously do our best to train for every type of incident, but an incident like this is like a once-in-a-career type of incident,” Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence said at a news conference Wednesday.

The new conference was interrupted by an angry family member who said her boyfriend and brother-in-law were in the building.

“We’re all sick to our stomach, and we’re all waiting on the information [officials say] we should receive until Saturday, when I want to know today,” she said.

The origin and cause of the blast remains under investigation, county officials said Friday.

Cal Fire’s Office of the State Fire Marshal said it believes the facility belongs to a licensed pyrotechnics operator. Investigators are working to determine if the operation complied with California’s strict pyrotechnics regulations and federal explosive storage requirements.

“This type of incident is very rare,” Cal Fire officials said, noting that such facilities must follow stringent safety protocols.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,” the management for Devastating Pyrotechnics, the company that owns the pyrotechnics business, said in a statement. “We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”

The explosion led to the cancelation of multiple Fourth of July celebrations. The Cloverdale Lions Club announced Thursday that they were canceling their annual aerial fireworks display, as the Esparto facility was their designated supplier.