Firefighters working to start recovery efforts after Esparto fireworks blast
Firefighters are working to begin efforts to recover seven individuals who are “unaccounted for” at the site of multiple fireworks explosions that destroyed a pyrotechnics warehouse in Esparto, officials said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Mathew Davis, a spokesperson for the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, addressed the families of the missing individuals, acknowledging their concerns but saying personnel cannot move forward with the recovery effort until the scene is safe.
“It’s important that we operate safely, carefully and securely and in a dignified manner that respects all involved,” Davis said. “We cannot move forward and risk any more injury to anyone else on this scene.”
Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence on Wednesday said conditions were too dangerous for crews to search for the missing individuals on scene, calling it a “once-in-a-career incident.”
‘A little bit safer’ for responders
At Thursday’s briefing, Lawrence said firefighters had begun “targeted fire suppression efforts” to mitigate the risks of recovery and said the area was “a little bit” safer for responders.
Lawrence and Davis did not answer questions from the media or families.
While Lawrence could not confirm the number of individuals forced to evacuate, he said more than 150 PG&E customers were affected by power outages from the incident.
As of Thursday afternoon, 89 customers connected to a substation on the 18500 block of County Road 89, roughly two miles east of the fire, remained disconnected, according to data collected by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Supervisor Angel Barajas, who represents the western portion of Yolo County including Winters and Esparto, said that the board, along with various agencies, were investigating the incident to see whether proper procedures were followed. Barajas said if protocols were violated, the board would “revise and modify” them to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
“We have trust in our partners and our agencies that the investigation is going to be transparent,” he said. “We want to make sure that it becomes a quick and a timely investigation, but we’re going to leave the subject-matter experts to perform those duties.”
Officials offer support for those affected
Barajas said the county was providing the families of those unaccounted for with food and hotel vouchers as well as counseling services.
“First and foremost, our priority is the families making sure that they’re comfortable during this investigation and this recovery procedure,” Barajas said.
At a Wednesday news conference, family members of three of the missing individuals — Jesus Ramos, Jhonny Ramos and Joel “Junior” Melendez confronted fire officials about their handling of the event after Lawrence said firefighters’ next priority was decreasing the evacuation zone, rather than locating the missing individuals.
Lawrence later said finding the missing was a “big concern” for the department.
“You guys should be more worried about finding the people first and then worrying about the people when evacuating,” said Syanna Ruiz, the girlfriend of Jesus Ramos. “Those are people who possibly lost their lives because of you guys not doing your job well enough, and because you guys are not taking your job as serious as you guys supposedly do.”
In a statement, officials at Devastating Pyrotechnics, whose facilities were destroyed in the explosion, offered thoughts to the families of those believed lost in the blast and gratitude to first responders who rushed to the scene.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,” the statement read. “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 company’s attorney, Douglas Horngrad, offered little else, saying that “while we understand the public’s need for more information about the warehouse facility in Esparto, we cannot provide any further comment at this time.”
No other officials from the San Francisco-based company have discussed the incident with The Sacramento Bee or responded to repeated inquiries about the inferno.
Investigation continues
A State Fire Marshal’s Arson and Bomb Unit has been on scene investigating the incident since Tuesday, but currently has no updates on their investigation, Lawrence said.
Questions about the investigation sent to officials at the Cal Fire division remained unanswered, too.
A national Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms response team, which typically assembles for major fire and explosion incidents, was called to the Oakdale incident in Esparto, Cal Fire officials said on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Cal Fire spokesperson Jason Clay said the investigation would be “lengthy.”
Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, an industry group representing all aspects of the fireworks business, said explosions like the Oakdale incident are often human caused.
“Usually when a bad incident happens, there are workers dealing with the product,” Heckman said. “Fireworks do not just ignite on their own.”
The Office of the State Fire Marshal on Wednesday emphasized that incidents like this are rare due to stringent licensing standards. Still, the agency said its team would investigate whether activities at the site complied with both state and federal regulations.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 3:38 PM.
