It was a busy Fourth of July for Sacramento-area firefighters who responded to hundreds of fire calls.
Investigators have determined that fireworks were the cause of one of the biggest blazes that swept through a longtime Sacramento business.
Industrial Minerals Company has been at its location in Sacramento's Old Town Florin neighborhood for more than five decades.
"We grind clay for ceramics, so anything from tile manufacturing, dinnerware manufacturing, to potters at home, kids at school," said Aaron Philips, the company's general manager.
They also offer community classes, teaching people how to make ceramic pottery. But a two-alarm fire tore through their storage warehouse on Independence Day, burning through the old wooden timbers, and causing the metal roof to collapse.
"We're going to be without our warehouse, which is critical to our business and it's really frustrating," Philips said.
Arson investigators confirmed this blaze was started by fireworks. The flames were so intense that Sacramento Metro Fire crews could only fight the fire from the outside, fearing the whole structure could crumble.
"The fire conditions that were inside were extremely heavy," Metro Fire Captain Mark Nunez said.
Firefighters were able to save other buildings where the industrial equipment, office, and classroom are located.
Despite the fire, the business remains open and continues to sell undamaged inventory. But they're still bracing for a big economic loss.
"We're not going to make any money this year," Philips said. "Insurance covers some of it, but they don't cover all of it."
A night of illegal fireworks celebrations is shaping the future of this long-time ceramics supply business.
"You're favorite little fireworks can cause unintended consequences," pottery instructor Rhiannon Brentson said.
The business says some of their most popular clay that was destroyed comes from a mine in Amador County that is now closed and was the last of its kind still available.
"I really wish we had some more sanity with fireworks," Philips said.
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