July 3 (UPI) -- Seven people remain unaccounted for following Tuesday's explosion of a northern California fireworks warehouse, officials said.
The warehouse located near Esparto, about 36 miles northwest of Sacramento, exploded at about 5:50 p.m. PDT Tuesday following a fire erupting on the compound.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Esparto Fire Protection District and Cal Fire said in an update Wednesday that first responders and investigators are working with the unidentified property owner to locate the unaccounted-for individuals.
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"We have investigators monitoring the area remotely, utilizing unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) to assess hazards and further the investigation," they said in the statement.
Chief Curtis Lawrence of the Esparto Fire Protection District would not identify the seven missing people to reporters during a Wednesday press conference, adding that there "has been communication" with their families.
He said two people were injured in the incident and received treatment. Concerning their condition, Lawrence said "they are okay now."
The Esparto Fire Protection District and Cal Fire said they believe the site is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder and that as part of their investigation they are working to determine that "everything happening at the facility was within our license requirements."
"This type of incident is very rare," they said, "as facilities like this are required to not only follow our stringent California pyrotechnic requirements, but also federal explosive storage requirements."
Evacuation orders for the immediate area remain in effect, and officials said a site assessment is underway to assess the hazards and with the goal of returning people to their homes as soon as possible.
"This is a very complex and ongoing investigation," Lawrence said. "It's a very complex and ongoing incident that is not completely terminated or mitigated."
A joint statement from Yuba and Sutter counties states their fireworks show scheduled for Friday has been rescheduled for Saturday night.
"This decision was made after thoughtful discussion and out of respect for those impacted by the explosion in Yolo County," the counties said.
"Our hearts remain with the community of Esparto, the County of Yolo, those harmed, their families and all those affected by this heartbreaking event."
