Mother cries out names of missing sons in Yolo County fireworks explosion

Mother of missing sons shares video from night of fireworks warehouse fire, calls on Yolo County for help

Yolo County officials said Thursday that the investigation and recovery efforts could take days, and said their hearts and thoughts are with the families of the 7 people who are missing.

ESPARTO, Calif. - As fireworks crackled in the night sky and flames flickered from a warehouse explosion in Yolo County, a mother cried out the names of her missing sons.

Marisol Ramos and her partner, Joel Melendez Sr., rushed from San Francisco to the rural town of Esparto on Tuesday night after learning that an explosion had occurred at a fireworks storage facility where Ramos' sons, 18-year-old Jesus Ramos and 22-year-old John Ramos, had been working. Melendez's son, 28-year-old Joel "Jr" Melendez, also worked at the warehouse.

‘I just need my babies’

What they're saying:

In video she shared with KTVU, she can be heard screaming each of their names: "Jesus! Jr.! John!"

"They are trapped in there," she wailed. "No, I know my children are still alive. I know they are still alive."

The young men are among the seven people still unaccounted for after a barrage of fireworks exploded Tuesday, causing a massive blaze that destroyed the building and ignited multiple spot fires. The facility is about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento. Two people managed to escape.

At a news conference on Thursday, Yolo County Undersheriff Matthew Davis asked family members for their patience during the slow process of making the smoldering site safe for searchers.

"We cannot move forward and risk injury to anyone else on the scene," Davis said. "We appreciate and understand how much you want answers, and we’re doing everything we can to bring you that."

Still, the wait is unbearable for Marisol Ramos.

"We have three kids in there. I don't know anything. I want to hug them, I want to touch them," said Marisol Ramos.

Brothers had just started working at warehouse

What we know:

For Jesus Ramos, it was his first day on the job at the facility, which is managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics. He was scheduled to get off work at 2 p.m. The explosion was reported around 5:50 p.m.

His girlfriend, Syanna Ruiz, told KTVU they were expecting a child together, and that Ramos had taken the job to prepare for their child's arrival.

"I'm only two months pregnant, but he was so excited," she said. "That was the main reason why he wanted to start working, was just for our family."

Johnny Ramos and Melendez, had both started working at the warehouse the week before,

Melendez has a pregnant wife, Maria Melendez, and an 11-month-old son, according to a verified GoFundMe page.

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"If they're gone, I need the ashes so I could see them, hug them with my hand that's all I want," Marisol Ramos said.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and a roughly mile-wide perimeter around the site of the explosion remained locked down as of Thursday night.

The site is operated by Devastating Pyrotechnics, a company with more than 30 years of experience producing large-scale fireworks displays in the Bay Area, according to the Associated Press. The company has headquarters in both San Francisco and Esparto and focuses primarily on professional display rather than those for retail.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community," the company said. "We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation."

Cal Fire said crews are continuing to monitor the site using drones as small explosions continued, making recovery efforts too risky.

"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," Cal Fire said.

An investigative report by KCRA revealed that the property is not zoned for fireworks storage. It is designated for "agricultural intensive" use, and official zoning lists the site as intended for almonds.

Editor's note: The story was updated after the wife of Joel Melendez Jr. requested clarification that Marisol Ramos is not her husband's biological mother.