For the first time since massive fireworks explosions leveled a warehouse in the Esparto area of Yolo County, first responders were seen entering the blast zone to begin searching for seven missing people.The facility at County roads 23 and 86A caught fire around 5:50 p.m. Tuesday. As LiveCopter 3 was headed to the fire, its cameras could already see a massive plume of black smoke from miles away.Flames began engulfing the property, which also included two homes and multiple vehicles. And when the fire reached the fireworks, explosions began occurring, with the largest one captured during our 7 p.m. newscast, completely obliterating the warehouse storing a large cache of fireworks.It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that Cal Fire revealed seven people were unaccounted for, and families of the missing people for days have been asking officials why they have not gone on site to search for survivors.California’s state fire marshal and other agencies have emphasized that the property was too hazardous to immediately enter because of lingering unignited fireworks and the chemicals left behind from the fireworks explosions. What happened ThursdayOfficials from the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services, Esparto Fire Protection District, Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors gathered news media at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a news briefing.At the briefing, Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence stated there were no new updates. Yolo County Undersheriff Matt Davis spoke after him, saying that the department’s thoughts and prayers are with the families. He is also asking the public for patience as they work to clear the site of hazardous material.Supervisor Angel Barajas said the county has provided hotel and food vouchers for the families of those still missing.To conclude the short briefing, the Yolo County OES representative said they are not answering questions from reporters.KCRA 3’s Anahita Jafary was among the group of reporters who tried to get a question in as officials walked away.Another reporter could be heard asking the Yolo County OES rep for her name, but she ignored that question.Around 5:45 p.m., LiveCopter 3 spotted vehicles and crews from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives enter the site. Video showed personnel carrying stretchers with what appear to be remains, but KCRA 3 is choosing not to air that content because it is too graphic to do so.Yolo County officials said explosive ordnance disposal experts are working alongside fire personnel to ensure safety.What we know about the missing people so far While officials have not yet released the identities of any of the unaccounted people, a woman identified one of them as her 18-year-old boyfriend, Jesus Maneces Ramos. Syanna Ruiz said it was his first day working at the facility, and she is holding on to hope that he is OK.MORE | Family of 3 missing brothers in Esparto fireworks explosion demand answers”We’re praying to God that they’re alive, that maybe they just need medical attention, that I mean, maybe they’re stuck,” Ruiz said. “Maybe they’re stranded without able to communicate for hope — something.”Ruiz said they are expecting a baby. She also mentioned that Ramos was supposed to be off work at 2 or 3 p.m. and is unsure why he was still at the facility.KCRA 3 reached out to officials to confirm if he was one of the missing people.During a news briefing that began shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, Ruiz addressed Cal Fire officials, using a reporter’s mic to express her frustration with the investigation.She questioned why officials hadn’t actually entered the property grounds to search for the missing people. The interaction lasted for minutes before officials prompted reporters to ask the next question.Another man missing was identified by loved ones as 41-year-old Carlos Javier Rodriguez. “He’s a devoted father, a hardworking man, a husband, dad, uncle, and best friend,” Darlene Sanchez, a close friend of the family, told KCRA 3. MORE | Read more about Rodriguez here A father spoke to KCRA 3’s Michelle Bandur, where other family members are gathering, waiting for answers from officials. He said three of his sons work at the facility, two of them having started their first day on the job on Tuesday.Crews are also using drones to assess any remaining hazards since the explosions. The agency confirmed the property owner is an active pyrotechnic license holder.Yolo County activated its victim services program for the families of the missing people.What we know about the facilityPublic records and officials for communities with events impacted by the fireworks explosion identified the company that owned the Esparto facility as Devastating Pyrotechnics. On Thursday, the Yolo County Planning Commission confirmed to KCRA 3 that the property was not permitted to store fireworks. Rather, the parcel was zoned for agricultural equipment storage. More here. On Wednesday evening, the company updated its website and included the following statement:”Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. 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.”Prior to Wednesday afternoon, the company’s website said it had headquarters in San Francisco and Esparto. KCRA has reached out to the company but has not heard back. Read more about what KCRA Investigates learned here. The owner of the property, Sam Machado, is a lieutenant with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. KCRA spoke with him in 2017 for a story on floating homeless encampments. KCRA 3 learned that two of his family members were home when the blast happened. A neighbor told KCRA that those family members were able to get to safety. Power outages, evacuations and road closuresReporter Andres Valle was at the scene of the fire. He was live on air when a large explosion occurred. Crews repeatedly pushed media back when the situation worsened. See a report from Andres Valle in the video below: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office said it was monitoring the fire and explosion and the State Fire Marshal sent an arson and bomb investigation team to the site.The sheriff’s office said a one-mile evacuation order was put in place around the area where the fire was burning.By 8:50 p.m. Tuesday, residents were able to return to the town of Madison, Yolo County officials said.A number of households are also without power. According to Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s outage map, the outage was reported around 5:49 p.m., affecting more than 2,000 customers. An estimated restoration time was listed as 1:15 a.m. Wednesday but roughly 90 customers in Yolo County remain without power.When asked multiple times about injuries, the Esparto fire chief said, “We’re not going to answer detailed questions.” It is also unclear if there is still a risk to the public.Meier also explained that it may take at least a year before a final report and cause from investigators is released, citing that many large governmental agencies are involved in the investigation.One of those agencies includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).Below are the road closures while crews are still handling the aftermath of the fire.County Road 86A at County Road 25County Road 86A at State Route 16County Road 23 at County Road 87BCounty Road 86 at County Road 23Where the explosion investigation standsWhile the cause of the fire remains unknown, the Federal Aviation Administration is dispelling any rumors that a plane crash caused the fire. It said it does not have any reports of downed aircraft in the area.Cal Fire also called the explosion a crime scene without going into further detail.Cleanup will also take a while once the hazards are cleared. Ray Villanueva is a project manager for Catalyst Environmental, a remediation company that deals with contaminated soil.In the coming days, he said he expects there will be a lot of soil sampling to determine contamination levels.Learn more here.Before and after imagesSatellite photos and images from LiveCopter 3 show the gravity of the devastation to the facility’s property.Use the toggle to go between before and after images:Fireworks shows impactsWe are also working to confirm how many fireworks shows will be impacted by the number of destroyed fireworks.A joint press release from the Yuba-Sutter Region named Devastating Pyrotechnics as the company behind the fireworks. Records tied the company to the address where the explosions happened.Yuba-Sutter said the fireworks that were destroyed were the ones intended for their Fourth of July show. On Wednesday afternoon, organizers announced the show celebration would be rescheduled to July 5.The city of Lodi confirmed the fireworks it had intended to use for its Fourth of July show were at the facility. This year’s show is canceled as a result.Rancho Cordova city officials said its show is not impacted by the explosion and will move forward as planned.See more about impacted events here. Despite all of the smoke that billowed into the sky, the air quality remains in the healthy range, according to PurpleAir. Oakdale FireCal 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 was the scene Wednesday morning and did not see large active flames, only lingering smoke. The acreage has remained the same.TeSelle said first responders kept media back by one mile from where the fire happened. When asked why so far back, officials said they are not answering questions at this time.RELATED | Fireworks accident expert weighs in on massive fire at Yolo County facilityRichard Meier, a fireworks accident expert, said that there may still be leftover fireworks that have yet to ignite, which is likely why crews are keeping people far from the scene.In a press briefing just after 9 p.m. Tuesday, 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.Lawrence held another news briefing Wednesday afternoon.He would not comment on whether all seven unaccounted-for people were facility workers. He also said two people were injured but would not comment on their conditions or if they worked at the plant.The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the building that exploded was a warehouse storing fireworks.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

For the first time since massive fireworks explosions leveled a warehouse in the Esparto area of Yolo County, first responders were seen entering the blast zone to begin searching for seven missing people.

The facility at County roads 23 and 86A caught fire around 5:50 p.m. Tuesday. As LiveCopter 3 was headed to the fire, its cameras could already see a massive plume of black smoke from miles away.

Flames began engulfing the property, which also included two homes and multiple vehicles. And when the fire reached the fireworks, explosions began occurring, with the largest one captured during our 7 p.m. newscast, completely obliterating the warehouse storing a large cache of fireworks.

It wasn’t until Wednesday morning that Cal Fire revealed seven people were unaccounted for, and families of the missing people for days have been asking officials why they have not gone on site to search for survivors.

California’s state fire marshal and other agencies have emphasized that the property was too hazardous to immediately enter because of lingering unignited fireworks and the chemicals left behind from the fireworks explosions.

What happened Thursday

Officials from the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services, Esparto Fire Protection District, Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and the Yolo County Board of Supervisors gathered news media at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a news briefing.

At the briefing, Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence stated there were no new updates. Yolo County Undersheriff Matt Davis spoke after him, saying that the department’s thoughts and prayers are with the families. He is also asking the public for patience as they work to clear the site of hazardous material.

Supervisor Angel Barajas said the county has provided hotel and food vouchers for the families of those still missing.

To conclude the short briefing, the Yolo County OES representative said they are not answering questions from reporters.

KCRA 3’s Anahita Jafary was among the group of reporters who tried to get a question in as officials walked away.

Another reporter could be heard asking the Yolo County OES rep for her name, but she ignored that question.

Around 5:45 p.m., LiveCopter 3 spotted vehicles and crews from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives enter the site.

Video showed personnel carrying stretchers with what appear to be remains, but KCRA 3 is choosing not to air that content because it is too graphic to do so.

Yolo County officials said explosive ordnance disposal experts are working alongside fire personnel to ensure safety.

What we know about the missing people so far

While officials have not yet released the identities of any of the unaccounted people, a woman identified one of them as her 18-year-old boyfriend, Jesus Maneces Ramos. Syanna Ruiz said it was his first day working at the facility, and she is holding on to hope that he is OK.

MORE | Family of 3 missing brothers in Esparto fireworks explosion demand answers

“We’re praying to God that they’re alive, that maybe they just need medical attention, that I mean, maybe they’re stuck,” Ruiz said. “Maybe they’re stranded without [being] able to communicate for hope — something.”

Ruiz said they are expecting a baby. She also mentioned that Ramos was supposed to be off work at 2 or 3 p.m. and is unsure why he was still at the facility.

KCRA 3 reached out to officials to confirm if he was one of the missing people.

During a news briefing that began shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, Ruiz addressed Cal Fire officials, using a reporter’s mic to express her frustration with the investigation.

She questioned why officials hadn’t actually entered the property grounds to search for the missing people. The interaction lasted for minutes before officials prompted reporters to ask the next question.

Another man missing was identified by loved ones as 41-year-old Carlos Javier Rodriguez.

“He’s a devoted father, a hardworking man, a husband, dad, uncle, and best friend,” Darlene Sanchez, a close friend of the family, told KCRA 3.

MORE | Read more about Rodriguez here

A father spoke to KCRA 3’s Michelle Bandur, where other family members are gathering, waiting for answers from officials. He said three of his sons work at the facility, two of them having started their first day on the job on Tuesday.

Crews are also using drones to assess any remaining hazards since the explosions. The agency confirmed the property owner is an active pyrotechnic license holder.

Yolo County activated its victim services program for the families of the missing people.

What we know about the facility

Public records and officials for communities with events impacted by the fireworks explosion identified the company that owned the Esparto facility as Devastating Pyrotechnics.

On Thursday, the Yolo County Planning Commission confirmed to KCRA 3 that the property was not permitted to store fireworks.

Rather, the parcel was zoned for agricultural equipment storage. More here.

On Wednesday evening, the company updated its website and included the following statement:

“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. 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.”

Prior to Wednesday afternoon, the company’s website said it had headquarters in San Francisco and Esparto.

KCRA has reached out to the company but has not heard back.

Read more about what KCRA Investigates learned here.

The owner of the property, Sam Machado, is a lieutenant with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. KCRA spoke with him in 2017 for a story on floating homeless encampments.

KCRA 3 learned that two of his family members were home when the blast happened.

A neighbor told KCRA that those family members were able to get to safety.

Power outages, evacuations and road closures

Reporter Andres Valle was at the scene of the fire. He was live on air when a large explosion occurred. Crews repeatedly pushed media back when the situation worsened.

See a report from Andres Valle in the video below:

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office said it was monitoring the fire and explosion and the State Fire Marshal sent an arson and bomb investigation team to the site.

The sheriff’s office said a one-mile evacuation order was put in place around the area where the fire was burning.

By 8:50 p.m. Tuesday, residents were able to return to the town of Madison, Yolo County officials said.

A number of households are also without power. According to Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s outage map, the outage was reported around 5:49 p.m., affecting more than 2,000 customers. An estimated restoration time was listed as 1:15 a.m. Wednesday but roughly 90 customers in Yolo County remain without power.

When asked multiple times about injuries, the Esparto fire chief said, “We’re not going to answer detailed questions.” It is also unclear if there is still a risk to the public.

Meier also explained that it may take at least a year before a final report and cause from investigators is released, citing that many large governmental agencies are involved in the investigation.

One of those agencies includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Below are the road closures while crews are still handling the aftermath of the fire.

• County Road 86A at County Road 25
• County Road 86A at State Route 16
• County Road 23 at County Road 87B
• County Road 86 at County Road 23

Where the explosion investigation stands

While the cause of the fire remains unknown, the Federal Aviation Administration is dispelling any rumors that a plane crash caused the fire. It said it does not have any reports of downed aircraft in the area.

Cal Fire also called the explosion a crime scene without going into further detail.

Cleanup will also take a while once the hazards are cleared. Ray Villanueva is a project manager for Catalyst Environmental, a remediation company that deals with contaminated soil.

In the coming days, he said he expects there will be a lot of soil sampling to determine contamination levels.

Learn more here.

Before and after images

Satellite photos and images from LiveCopter 3 show the gravity of the devastation to the facility’s property.

Use the toggle to go between before and after images:

Fireworks shows impacts

We are also working to confirm how many fireworks shows will be impacted by the number of destroyed fireworks.

A joint press release from the Yuba-Sutter Region named Devastating Pyrotechnics as the company behind the fireworks. Records tied the company to the address where the explosions happened.

Yuba-Sutter said the fireworks that were destroyed were the ones intended for their Fourth of July show. On Wednesday afternoon, organizers announced the show celebration would be rescheduled to July 5.

The city of Lodi confirmed the fireworks it had intended to use for its Fourth of July show were at the facility. This year’s show is canceled as a result.

Rancho Cordova city officials said its show is not impacted by the explosion and will move forward as planned.

See more about impacted events here.

Despite all of the smoke that billowed into the sky, the air quality remains in the healthy range, according to PurpleAir.

Oakdale Fire

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 was the scene Wednesday morning and did not see large active flames, only lingering smoke. The acreage has remained the same.

TeSelle said first responders kept media back by one mile from where the fire happened. When asked why so far back, officials said they are not answering questions at this time.

RELATED | Fireworks accident expert weighs in on massive fire at Yolo County facility

Richard Meier, a fireworks accident expert, said that there may still be leftover fireworks that have yet to ignite, which is likely why crews are keeping people far from the scene.

In a press briefing just after 9 p.m. Tuesday, 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.

Lawrence held another news briefing Wednesday afternoon.

He would not comment on whether all seven unaccounted-for people were facility workers. He also said two people were injured but would not comment on their conditions or if they worked at the plant.

The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the building that exploded was a warehouse storing fireworks.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel