People were urged to avoid the area after the blast, which set off a barrage of fireworks and caused a massive blaze.

Rescue crews were searching on Thursday for seven people still missing days after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California shook a tiny farming community and forced the cancellation of nearby July Fourth celebrations.

Seven people are still "unaccounted for" in Yolo County's town of Esparto after several explosions at a fireworks warehouse resulted in a fire, officials said.