Latest news with #CurtisLawrence
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Details emerge in deadly California fireworks explosion that killed 7
New details are emerging in the deadly explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California, including the identities of some of the victims killed and that the property, owned by a local deputy sheriff, was not zoned to store pyrotechnics, according to multiple media reports. The exact cause of the July 1 blast at the warehouse in Esparto, a rural area about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento, is as of now unknown. The resulting blaze ignited an 80-acre wildfire in nearby agricultural fields that forced the evacuation of residents and destroyed the warehouse itself. Devastating Pyrotechnics, a company that has an active pyrotechnics license and claimed to have 30 years experience with producing fireworks shows, reportedly owned the warehouse though state records show another company, BlackStar Fireworks, listed at the same address, according to SFGate. BlackStar is reportedly owned by a man named Craig Cutright, who was also an employee of Devestating Pyrotechnics and a volunteer firefighter with Esparto Fire Protection District. During a Monday morning press conference, Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said Cutright is currently on a leave of absence. The property that the warehouse sits on, which is not zoned to store fireworks and is listed as 'agricultural intensive,' SFGate reported, is a Yolo County Sheriff's deputy named Sam Machado. His home on the property was destroyed by the explosion, according to CBS News, though it's unknown if he was injured. County officials reportedly refused to answer questions about the zoning issue, and when asked about Machado's status, Yolo County Undersheriff Coroner Matt Davis told reporters that it was a personnel matter. The remains of all seven victims reported missing after the explosion were recovered Saturday in what was described as a 'coordinated recovery' operation, with Davis saying at Monday's press conference that DNA results are expected by Wednesday for official identification of those who died. However, family members and close friends have identified several victims, CBS News reported. Marisol Ramos told the outlet that her two sons, 18-year-old Jose Ramos and 22-year-old Jhony Ramos, along with their stepbrother, 28-year-old Junior Melendez, were among the dead. Jhony Ramos Sr., the father of the two brothers, and Marisol said they are worried about the planned destruction of undetonated fireworks at the site, which they fear could destroy evidence, presumably of who may be liable for the cause of the explosion. 'I lost two of my kids, my sons,' Ramos Sr. Told CBS News. 'I ask for justice.' Ryanna Ruiz identified 18-year-old Jesus Ramos, another one of the victims. His girlfriend, she said she was pregnant with his child and that it was the 18-year-old's first day on the job at the warehouse, SFGate reported. Carlos Rodriguez, 41, identified by family, was described as a devoted father, while Neil Li is believed to have been the general manager of Devastating Pyrotechnics. Family members identified Angel Voller among the dead as well. The seventh victim has to be identified by family or local officials. The state fire marshal, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other federal agencies continue to investigate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Fireworks facility goes up in flames in Yolo County. CalFire battling wildfire, 7 missing
Seven people are missing after a massive explosion ripped through a fireworks warehouse around 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Esparto area of Yolo County. One person has been confirmed dead as of 3 p.m., July 2, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. The explosion sparked a wildfire — called the "Oakdale Fire"—that led to a 78-acre blaze, as first reported by KCRA. As of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the fire was uncontained and still spreading, according to CalFire. Parts of Esparto have been evacuated. It is unknown if the missing people worked at the warehouse or lived nearby. At 5:50 p.m. Tuesday local fire crews responded to a call of an explosion in the largely rural area of Esparto, said Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence at a press briefing later that night. The incident occurred near the Esparto/Madison area, specifically around County Road 23 and County Road 86A. Responding crews confronted multiple fires at multiple commercial buildings on the site, said Lawrence and more firefighting resources were called in for support. The fire chief said the cause of the explosion is being investigated by California's State Fire Marshal Arson and Bomb Unit. The fire will take time to cool, and once it does, explosive experts must safely enter the site to assess and secure the area, according to the Yolo County Sheriff's Office, and is strongly urge everyone to continue avoiding the area for the next several days so that fire crews, law enforcement, and emergency personnel can do their jobs safely and effectively. Esparto is a small rural community (population: 3,700) in Yolo County, approximately 40 miles west of Sacramento. (This story was updated with new information and a video.) This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Explosions at fireworks warehouse lead to 78-acre fire in Yolo County
New York Post
03-07-2025
- New York Post
7 missing after explosion at California fireworks warehouse sets off massive blaze
Seven people were missing Wednesday following an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in rural Northern California that caused a massive fire that spread to farm fields and forced evacuations in the surrounding community, authorities said. Two people were injured and received medical care, Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence said at a news conference Wednesday. Lawrence provided no further information other than to say the two were 'OK,' and it wasn't known if the victims worked at the facility. Emergency crews and investigators were working with the property's owner and monitoring the area using drones to find the missing individuals, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It was not immediately clear if those missing worked at the warehouse or lived nearby. Advertisement 3 Smoke and flames rise at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, Calif., on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. AP People were urged to avoid the area after the Tuesday night blast, which set off a barrage of fireworks and caused a blaze that led to other spot fires and collapsed the building near Esparto in Yolo County about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. Advertisement 'The fire will take time to cool, and once it does, explosive experts must safely enter the site to assess and secure the area,' the Yolo County Sheriff's Office said in a statement late Tuesday. Syanna Ruiz, 18, told the Sacramento Bee that her boyfriend, Jesus Ramos, and two of his brothers were missing. Tuesday was Ramos's first day on the job at the warehouse, she said. 'They were all three incredible men who had so much coming for them, that had so much coming their way,' Ruiz said. 'I'm just praying to God that some way, somehow, they're OK.' 3 Fireworks explode at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, Calif., Tuesday, July 1, 2025. AP Advertisement The fire was held at nearly 80 acres after scorching surrounding agricultural fields, officials said. The property is owned by 'an active pyrotechnic license holder,' Cal Fire said in a statement Wednesday. '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.' The state fire marshal's website listed the license for the facility as belonging to Blackstar Fireworks. Advertisement 3 The cause of the explosion was under investigation. KCRA The owner who was listed did not respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said it was tracking what happened and that state ground and air resources were deployed. 'The State Fire Marshal has sent an arson and bomb investigation team, and stands ready to provide additional support as needed,' the governor's office said on the social site X. Officials in nearby Sutter and Yuba counties announced Wednesday that they were exploring alternatives for Fourth of July celebrations after their fireworks were destroyed in the blast.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Seven people missing from massive explosion at California fireworks facility
By Steve Gorman , Reuters Seven people were missing after a fire and powerful explosion levelled a commercial fireworks facility in rural northern California, authorities said. Aerial footage from local news media showed the large warehouse-like building blown to pieces Tuesday evening in an enormous, thundering fireball that rocked a wide area around the Yolo County community of Esparto, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Sacramento, the state capital. The blast, belching out a pall of thick black smoke, was followed by a flurry of dozens of smaller explosions flashing in the sky over the site, apparently ignited by the inventory of pyrotechnics stored at the location. Flames spread from the explosion charred about 78 acres (32 hectares) of surrounding vegetation, according to Jason Clay, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Two people injured in the "initial event" received medical treatment, and seven other individuals were missing, Curtis Lawrence, fire chief for the Esparto Fire Protection District, told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday, about 24 hours later. The cause of the incident, which occurred three days before the July Fourth US. Independence Day celebrations that typically involve fireworks displays, was under investigation by the state fire marshal's office, Lawrence said. Authorities said firefighters and other emergency response personnel were keeping a safe distance from the site as teams continued to make assessments of ongoing risks posed by live fireworks, which continued to go off at random through Wednesday evening. Teams were flying drones and aircraft over the area seeking to determine the fate of the missing and to monitor lingering hazards, Lawrence said. Authorities declined to say whether the missing were workers from the facility or bystanders, but he said there were no casualties among firefighters or other emergency personnel. "I can say I have not seen anything like this," Lawrence said. Asked how authorities would know when it was safe enough to venture further into the site, he said, "It's tough to get a definitive answer of when that's going to be and what that actually looks like." An evacuation zone was established around the site, and about 150 homes and farms were without power as a result of the incident, Lawrence said. He described the demolished facility as a licensed pyrotechnics business involving commercial fireworks sold for public display. But it was unclear whether fireworks were merely stored there or also produced on site. - Reuters
Reuters
03-07-2025
- General
- Reuters
Seven people missing from massive explosion at California fireworks facility
July 2 (Reuters) - Seven people were missing after a fire and powerful explosion leveled a commercial fireworks facility in rural northern California, authorities said on Wednesday. Aerial footage from local news media showed the large warehouse-like building blown to pieces Tuesday evening in an enormous, thundering fireball that rocked a wide area around the Yolo County community of Esparto, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Sacramento, the state capital. The blast, belching out a pall of thick black smoke, was followed by a flurry of dozens of smaller explosions flashing in the sky over the site, apparently ignited by the inventory of pyrotechnics stored at the location. Flames spread from the explosion charred about 78 acres (32 hectares) of surrounding vegetation, according to Jason Clay, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Two people injured in the "initial event" received medical treatment, and seven other individuals were missing, Curtis Lawrence, fire chief for the Esparto Fire Protection District, told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday, about 24 hours later. The cause of the incident, which occurred three days before the July Fourth U.S. Independence Day celebrations that typically involve fireworks displays, was under investigation by the state fire marshal's office, Lawrence said. Authorities said firefighters and other emergency response personnel were keeping a safe distance from the site as teams continued to make assessments of ongoing risks posed by live fireworks, which continued to go off at random through Wednesday evening. Teams were flying drones and aircraft over the area seeking to determine the fate of the missing and to monitor lingering hazards, Lawrence said. Authorities declined to say whether the missing were workers from the facility or bystanders, but he said there were no casualties among firefighters or other emergency personnel. "I can say I have not seen anything like this," Lawrence said. Asked how authorities would know when it was safe enough to venture further into the site, he said, "It's tough to get a definitive answer of when that's going to be and what that actually looks like." An evacuation zone was established around the site, and about 150 homes and farms were without power as a result of the incident, Lawrence said. He described the demolished facility as a licensed pyrotechnics business involving commercial fireworks sold for public display. But it was unclear whether fireworks were merely stored there or also produced on site.
