ESPARTO, CA (MPG) -  The Esparto Fire Protection District and the CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal (OFSM) is releasing this informational update regarding the explosion at a pyrotechnics facility in Esparto Tuesday July 1 at 6:02 p.m.

This remains an active incident with a continued threat to the immediate area that remains under an evacuation order. There is a reduced risk today (Wednesday), but a risk that still remains and thus the evacuation orders are in place. Site assessment is ongoing to assess the hazards. It is the goal to get residents back to their homes and possibly reduce the footprint of that evacuation zone.

Seven individuals remain unaccounted for. First responders and investigators are working diligently with the property owner to determine the whereabouts of those individuals. We have investigators monitoring the area remotely utilizing unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) to assess hazards and further the investigation. An operational briefing meeting between agencies took place at 10 a.m.

Esparto FPD is in Command of the Incident with the California Highway Patrol assisting with site security. CAL FIRE - OSFM is leading the investigation. This remains an active crime scene.

CAL FIRE - OSFM believes this location is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder. As part of our investigation, we will be working to determine that everything happening at the facility was within our license requirements. This type of incident is very rare, as facilities like this are required to not only follow our stringent California pyrotechnic requirements, but also federal explosive storage requirements.

Evacuation Orders are in effect for the following zones MAD063-A, MAD149-B. The Yolo County Public Library in Esparto has been identified as an evacuation center and cooling zone for residents. It is located at 17065 Yolo Avenue, Esparto.