At least two people are dead after a huge explosion rocked an Ontario neighborhood Tuesday. The city tweeted that a large stash of fireworks ignited inside a home.
The people who died were "in the area" of the explosion, Ontario Fire Dept. Chief Raymond J. Gayk told us.
The blast sent a huge plume of smoke into the air — many people shared photos and video on social media.
Earlier in the day, officials asked residents to shelter in place or evacuate the area as they looked for potential hazardous materials on the ground, according to a tweet from the city.
Someone’s firework stack went off in Ontario shook our whole neighborhood pic.twitter.com/LmUrtgl0oK
— Queen of Swords♑️ (@Prudencepms) March 16, 2021
Authorities said late Tuesday that the evacuation area will be closed overnight:
For residents in the evacuation area, the neighborhood will be closed for the night. For housing assistance, please go to De Anza Community Center (1405 S. Fern Ave) prior to midnight.
— City of Ontario (@CityofOntario) March 17, 2021
For all updates, go to https://t.co/RkEKHRG1LC or follow us on social media. #FrancisIncident pic.twitter.com/tS7hDgS8q8
To accommodate displaced residents, the city opened the De Anza Community Center as an emergency shelter.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
