Latest news with #Esparto
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Families confirm five people died in blast at California fireworks warehouse
Family members are still searching for answers following last week's explosion at a fireworks warehouse in northern California. Authorities confirmed on Sunday that the remains of the seven people missing in the blast have been recovered. Family and community members have confirmed five of the victims as Jesus Ramos, Jhony Ramos, Joel 'Junior' Melendez, Angel Voller and Carlos Rodriguez. Two victims are still unidentified. A GoFundMe page has been set up for brothers Jhony and Jesus Ramos. Jesus, the younger of the pair, was a soon-to-be father whose first day on the job coincided with the deadly explosion. 'He was excited to be a dad. Only two months and we were just waiting for this, a new opportunity, a new chapter. He saw it as a new chapter in our life,' Syanna Ruiz, Jesus Ramos' girlfriend, told ABC10, Sacramento's ABC affiliate. 'He was excited.' Joel Melendez's mother told the same outlet that she remains without answers surrounding the explosion that claimed the life of her 28-year-old son, who was a father of one with another baby on the way. 'He's my baby,' Lupe Melendez Mendoza told ABC10. 'And I don't know, I'm not getting answers. I don't know where he's at. I don't know what happened. I just know that he loves his wife.' All human remains have been recovered from the charred warehouse site, but the identities of the deceased were being withheld pending family notifications. Two people were treated for injuries following the blast in the town of Esparto, Yolo county officials said in a statement Sunday. The warehouse was managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has more than 30 years of experience designing and producing fireworks shows, according to a screenshot of its website before it was taken down. 'Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,' the company said in a statement last week. 'Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.' The wildfire covered nearly 80 acres (33 hectares) and scorched surrounding agricultural fields, officials said.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- The Guardian
Families confirm five people died in blast at California fireworks warehouse
Family members are still searching for answers following last week's explosion at a fireworks warehouse in northern California. Authorities confirmed on Sunday that the remains of the seven people missing in the blast have been recovered. Family and community members have confirmed five of the victims as Jesus Ramos, Jhony Ramos, Joel 'Junior' Melendez, Angel Voller and Carlos Rodriguez. Two victims are still unidentified. A GoFundMe page has been set up for brothers Jhony and Jesus Ramos. Jesus, the younger of the pair, was a soon-to-be father whose first day on the job coincided with the deadly explosion. 'He was excited to be a dad. Only two months and we were just waiting for this, a new opportunity, a new chapter. He saw it as a new chapter in our life,' Syanna Ruiz, Jesus Ramos' girlfriend, told ABC10, Sacramento's ABC affiliate. 'He was excited.' Joel Melendez's mother told the same outlet that she remains without answers surrounding the explosion that claimed the life of her 28-year-old son, who was a father of one with another baby on the way. 'He's my baby,' Lupe Melendez Mendoza told ABC10. 'And I don't know, I'm not getting answers. I don't know where he's at. I don't know what happened. I just know that he loves his wife.' All human remains have been recovered from the charred warehouse site, but the identities of the deceased were being withheld pending family notifications. Two people were treated for injuries following the blast in the town of Esparto, Yolo county officials said in a statement Sunday. The warehouse was managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has more than 30 years of experience designing and producing fireworks shows, according to a screenshot of its website before it was taken down. 'Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,' the company said in a statement last week. 'Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.' The wildfire covered nearly 80 acres (33 hectares) and scorched surrounding agricultural fields, officials said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Bodies of 7 recovered after deadly California fireworks warehouse explosion
The bodies of seven people reported missing in connection with a Northern California factory explosion have been recovered from the scene, The Yolo County Coroner's Division confirmed. The victims died in what Yolo County officials called a "significant explosion" on July 1 shortly after 6 p.m. local time at a warehouse storing fireworks south of the community of Esparto, about 82 miles northeast of Stockton. The explosion sparked the Oakdale Fire, which burned 78 acres. The fire was 100 percent contained as of Sunday, according to Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency. Crews located the seven victims from the Oakdale Fire, Yolo County officials announced in a Sunday, July 7 news release. Two Independence Day fireworks shows in San Joaquin County were canceled following the explosion. Thursday night's fireworks show at the New Stockton 99 Speedway was canceled, the Noceti Group, which operates the track, announced on social media. The Lodi Lake fireworks show, scheduled the evening of Friday, July 4, also was canceled. More: Stockton Speedway, Lodi Lake fireworks shows canceled after Esparto warehouse fire See video: Fireworks warehouse explodes in California The victims identities were being withheld until formal identification is completed and next of kin have been notified, officials wrote in the release. "The Coroner's Office continues to communicate directly with the families and will provide further updates as appropriate," officials wrote. Esparto Fire Protection District and The Yolo County Sheriff's Office responded to the blast which officials reported caused fires at several structures as well as multiple grass fires. "Crews are continuing to mitigate explosive hazards present at the scene," Yolo County posted on Facebook. Officials previously said they believe the facility is owned by someone with an active pyrotechnic license, but were working to determine the owner properly met license requirements. At the request of the Esparto Fire Protection District, CAL FIRE – OSFM's Arson and Bomb Investigation Unit is heading the fire's origin and cause investigation. Both remained under investigation by the state fire marshal on Monday, Cal Fire reported. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the sheriff's office at 530-666-8282. Contributing: Angelaydet Rocha, The Stockton Record, and Anthony Robledo Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bodies of 7 killed in California firework factory explosion recovered
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Father-to-be working first day at California fireworks facility found dead after terrifying explosion
A father-to-be who was working his first shift at a California fireworks facility is among seven dead after a terrifying explosion. The body of 18-year-old Jesus Manaces Ramos was pulled from the wreckage of the warehouse explosion in Esparto, California at the weekend - five days after the tragedy rocked the small community. His pregnant girlfriend, Syanna Ruiz, had earlier told ABC 10 that Jesus had taken a job alongside his older brothers, Johnny Ramos and Junior Melendez, to provide a better life for his growing family. All three men were tragically killed on Tuesday when their workplace, Devastating Pyrotechnics, went up in smoke. The blast damaged homes nearby and sparked the 78-acre Oakdale Fire, which led to evacuation orders and burned for four days before it was finally contained. 'He saw it as a new chapter in our life,' soon-to-be mother Ruiz said. 'He was excited. He was a good person, he is a good person.' Jesus' father Jhonny confirmed that his two older sons, Johnny, 22, and Joel Melendez Jr., 28, were also among the missing. According to Joel's mother Lupe Melendez Mendoza, he, too was at work to provide for his growing family. 'I don't know what happened,' his mother said. 'I just know that he loves his had a baby 10 months ago, and she's pregnant.' Angel Voller and Carlos Rodriguez have also been identified by their loved ones as victims of the tragic explosion. Two other victims have not been publicly named. Angel was a keen baseball player and his club paid tribute to him following the tragedy, writing: 'Angel was a fierce competitor and the most loyal friend and teammate you could ever ask for. 'A very humble and respectful young man, Angel contributed greatly to the success of our program in all 4 of his high school years.' The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, and authorities are working with federal agencies to determine what led to the catastrophic incident. Cal Fire's arson and bomb investigation unit is leading the investigation into the mass casualty tragedy. It took some time before authorities could get inside to retrieve the bodies as they worked to 'mitigate hazards' for emergency crews. Yolo County said in a statement: 'The Yolo County Coroner's Division has confirmed that seven individuals previously reported missing in connection with the Oakdale Fire have been located and recovered from the scene.' Work was being carried out to contact next of kin for each of the deceased. 'Crews are continuing to mitigate explosive hazards present at the scene,' the statement continued. 'To support this effort, CAL FIRE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team (NRT) have requested the assistance of regional bomb squads.' The warehouse is known for producing large-scale fireworks displays for major events in the Bay Area. The company, which has been in business for over 30 years, stated in a brief statement that it would fully cooperate with the investigation. Before its website was taken down, it was noted that Devastating Pyrotechnics focuses mainly on display fireworks for large productions, rather than retail products. Devastating Pyrotechnics released a statement on their website that read, 'Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. '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.' Grief support services are available for anybody impacted by the tragedy.
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Bodies of all 7 missing people found at a California fireworks warehouse that exploded
In this image taken from video, smoke and flames rise from a fireworks warehouse explosion, July 1, 2025, in Esparto, Calif. (Hudson Sheats via AP) ESPARTO, Calif. — Authorities in Northern California have found the bodies of all seven people missing since an explosion last week at a fireworks warehouse that caused a wildfire and shook a tiny farming community. The barrage of fireworks that exploded Tuesday caused a massive blaze that led to other spot fires and collapsed the building in Yolo County, which lies about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Sacramento. All human remains have been recovered from the charred warehouse site, but the identities of the deceased were being withheld pending family notifications, the county said in a statement Sunday. 'Crews are continuing to mitigate explosive hazards present at the scene,' the statement said. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. Two people were treated for injuries following the blast in the town of Encarto, officials said. The warehouse was managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has more than 30 years of experience designing and producing fireworks shows, according to a screenshot of its website before it was taken down. 'Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,' the company said in a statement last week. 'Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.' The wildfire covered nearly 80 acres (33 hectares) and scorched surrounding agricultural fields, officials said. The Associated Press
