A multipart, massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Yolo County on Tuesday destroyed the pyrotechnics for several Northern California Fourth of July shows, including one scheduled at Lodi Lake, officials said.
The warehouse, located in the Esparto area of Yolo County, about 70 miles northwest of Lodi, was destroyed amid multiple explosions that also ignited a growing fire. Two people were injured, and seven others are missing. The flames also caused evacuations and power outages in the Esparto area.
Lodi’s public information officer, Nancy Sarieh, said the incident is “out of our hands, since our fireworks were stored in that warehouse.”
On Wednesday morning, the Esparto Fire Protection District and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection issued a joint release, noting that investigators were monitoring
the area remotely and using drones to assess further hazards.
Cal Fire believes the person who owns the building, at 26450 County Road 23 in Esparto, has a pyrotechnics license.
On Tuesday, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media, saying officials “strongly urge everyone to continue avoiding the area for the next several days so that fire crews, law enforcement, and emergency personnel can do their jobs safely and effectively.”
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, authorities said.
The fireworks that were destroyed in the explosion were also intended for the Yuba-Sutter Fourth of July display, officials said. It has not yet been decided whether that show can continue.
One of the fires spurred by the explosion, the Oakdale fire, has burned almost 80 acres in Yolo County.
Despite the loss of the fireworks, Lodi residents can still celebrate the holiday with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Kiwanis Club from 7 to 11 a.m. Friday at Lodi Lake. The lake will be open as usual, from 2 to 8 p.m.
Tony Mannor, the city of Stockton’s public information officer, said Stockton’s fireworks supply was not affected by the Esparto explosion. The city will still have its Fourth of July 2025 Parade and Festival at Weber Point Events Center, 221 N. Center St. Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday.