🚨#BREAKING: A massive fireworks explosion has left multiple people injured and caused fire to spread and damaged to several homes
⁰📌#Pacoima | #CaliforniaMultiple emergency crews are on the scene as more than 100 firefighters battled a massive residential fire in Pacoima,… pic.twitter.com/HKOj8nfqyn
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 4, 2025
Several people and animals rescued from 3 neighboring homes believed to be set on fire by fireworks in Pacoima, California pic.twitter.com/XA8XO4eDmQ
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) July 4, 2025
BREAKING: Several houses reportedly on fire due to fireworks explosion in Pacoima, California….💥
pic.twitter.com/Us23QcJJ4k— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) July 4, 2025
California just got hit with a fireworks disaster that wasn’t part of any celebration. On July 1, a pyrotechnics warehouse in Esparto blew apart in a series of violent detonations that sent metal chunks flying and smoke towering 15,000 feet into the sky. Seven people are still missing. The blast triggered mandatory evacuations across a one-mile radius. Power went out. Roads shut down. Families ran. This wasn’t a backyard mishap. It was a commercial facility licensed to store and handle explosives. That license is now under investigation.
The explosion happened near County Roads 23 and 86A, about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento. Cal Fire confirmed multiple buildings on the property caught fire. Flames jumped into nearby grasslands, burning 78 acres before crews contained it. The Oakdale Fire, as it’s now labeled, pulled in ground and air units from Esparto, Madison, Winters, and Cal Fire. Spot fires kept flaring into the night. The evacuation zone included the town of Madison and several ranches. Officials kept it locked down until a full safety sweep could be done.
Residents described the shockwave like a bomb. Windows shattered. Doors blew open. Stucco cracked. One woman said her house shook so hard she thought a plane crashed. Another said she saw metal chunks flying overhead. Almond orchards were littered with debris. Power and water were cut off for over 24 hours. The warehouse, owned by Devastating Pyrotechnics, issued a statement saying it would cooperate with investigators. No injuries confirmed yet, but the search continues.
Two days later, another explosion hit Pacoima, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. This time it was fireworks stored in a garage. The fire spread fast. Three homes caught. A fourth was damaged. A car burned. Over 130 firefighters responded. It took 53 minutes to contain the blaze. A 33-year-old woman was hospitalized in critical condition with second and third-degree burns. A 68-year-old woman suffered smoke inhalation. Several pets were injured. One dog was rushed to an emergency vet. HazMat teams, arson investigators, LAPD Bomb Squad, and the Mayor’s Crisis Team were all deployed.
The fireworks were still going off when crews arrived. That’s not normal. That’s not legal. LAFD reminded residents that all fireworks are banned in Los Angeles. Doesn’t matter. The damage is done. The investigation is active. The neighborhood is scorched.
This wasn’t isolated. Simi Valley saw a fatal explosion. Bay Area had two critical injuries. California’s Fourth of July week turned into a statewide emergency response drill. The State Fire Marshal’s office is now reviewing all licensed pyrotechnic facilities. Federal explosive storage rules are also under scrutiny. The Esparto site is being treated as a crime scene. Drones are scanning the wreckage. Evacuation orders remain in place.
Sources:
https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/massive-fireworks-explosion-rocks-esparto-california-town-354521
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/esparto-residents-describe-fireworks-explosions/
https://www.aol.com/news/multiple-homes-burn-massive-pacoima-054839681.html