Fireworks sparked and rippled nearby behind crumbled walls and strewn-about debris where three of her children had been working hours before. She called their names through heavy sobs. No one answered.

Some residents from the small Yolo County community of Esparto recounted what they witnessed during a fireworks explosion that has left seven unaccounted for.

Walter Lucas has lived next to the fireworks facility and never imagined he’d witness a scene like this close to his home.