MASSIVE FIREWORKS EXPLOSION KILLS 2
Houses destroyed, numerous structures damaged and surrounding neighborhood evacuated
Two people died after a large cache of commercial grade fireworks stored at a home in Ontario exploded and sparked several fires Tuesday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of the surrounding neighborhood and sending smoke aloft that could be seen in cities several miles away, authorities said.
The two killed, who have not been identified, were at the property where the explosion and fire occurred about 12:30 p.m., Ontario Fire Chief Ray Gayk said. Three people suffered minor injuries, authorities said.
The blast occurred at a building behind a house near the area of San Antonio Avenue and Maple Street. The residential property has various outhouses and structures, some for livestock.
“There were some people in the house or near the house when the explosion happened — they were able to get out of the house,” Gayk said at a news conference, blocks away from the blast site.
Fires at two houses, both possibly on the same property where the fireworks exploded, continued to burn into Tuesday evening, officials said.
Gayk said his firefighters have been unable to get close enough to the blast site to properly survey the damage and douse flames at the burning homes, as bomb squad crews continued to clear the area of other explosives.
“Unfortunately, we don’t feel it’s safe to bring our crews in right now and extinguish those fires,” Gayk said.
Officials hoped to put out the fires by late Tuesday.
Gayk described the fireworks as “the type of explosives … you would normally see at a fireworks show.”
Ontario fire officials issued an evacuation for West Francis Street and West Maple Avenue between Fern and San Antonio avenues. A temporary care and reception center was being set up at the De Anza Community Center, 1405 South Fern, officials said on social media.
Officials said it would take crews two to four days to safely clear the area and allow residents to return to their homes.
Ontario police, along with the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and California State Fire Marshal will conduct investigations into the explosion, including a criminal probe.
“Due to the large explosion, we will be at minimum investigating a felony or multiple felonies,” Ontario Police Chief Michael Lorenz said.
Officers previously have gotten multiple complaints about fireworks being set off from around the home where the explosion occurred, he said.
The first blast sent up a huge fireball, sending up a towering column of smoke that could be seen in cities as far away as Anaheim and Riverside. Several smaller explosions could be heard after the initial blast. As firefighters made early attempts to put out some of the flames, fireworks continued to ignite, popping and flashing in the sky, amid the thick smoke.
About five hours after the first blast, another set of fireworks could be heard loudly crackling in the neighborhood.
Yellow crime scene tape surrounded the blast site, a small portion of the residential lot, next to blackened trees and piles of charred debris. The explosion reduced one structure to a set of naked concrete walls. The blast also shattered windows and damaged other homes within a block from the explosion.
A woman living nearby said part of her roof collapsed, her front door was blown off and her windows shattered by the force of a shock wave. Another resident living just behind the home that exploded said a back room of his house also was destroyed.
Cars parked blocks away had cracked windows. Firework shell casings and other debris from the explosion were scattered over nearby neighborhoods.
Shortly after the blast partially imploded his bedroom window, Carlos Gomez, who lives two blocks from the blast site, ran outside to grab his niece and nephew, who were playing in their yard.
As Gomez stepped outside, he said he watched pieces of tires, wooden fences and what he thought to be a bicycle falling from the sky. The family shut their doors and windows as they listened to about 10 other smaller explosions.
Javier Galvez, a 73-yearold Upland resident said he was driving on Francis Street near Mountain Avenue when he felt an impact on his car. He thought someone had crashed into him from behind.
“My car went up in the air a little bit,” Galvez said. “I thought my car got hit from behind and then I opened the door to see and all of a sudden I see parts of a building, of a house, up in the air, coming down, like raining.”
He said a big piece of wood from the home fell in front of him in the middle of the street.
A flood of videos of the blast were posted to social media at about 12:30 p.m., with numerous people spotting the towering column of smoke rising over the neighborhood. Some videos captured the moments as the initial explosion rocked the neighborhood with a large boom, causing onlookers to run away.
About an hour later, Ontario officials confirmed the blast was caused by fireworks stored at a home.
“A large amount of fireworks at a house ignited, causing a large structure fire,” officials said in a statement. “Explosions being heard are by fireworks at this time.”
Among those living in the evacuation zone was Jose Perez, whose home is about three houses away from the explosion. Perez rushed over from work at a construction site after receiving a call from his father. He said his parents, wife and children were home during the blast.
“From what my wife tells me, it’s a complete disaster,” Perez said. “Windows broken, doors completely blown off.”
He said although his family was uninjured in the explosion, his daughter was still in shock.
Perez, who drives a pickup truck pulling a large animal trailer, also has been trying to reach their home to check on their livestock, including a cow, goats, sheep, chicken, and rabbits.
Authorities said one injured horse and two dog were among those rescued from near the blast site.