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San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Deadly Yolo County explosion: Family of those killed search for answers as investigation continues
Yolo County officials on Monday said they were still working to identify the seven individuals whose remains were found at the site of a fireworks warehouse that exploded last week. Officials expected to have the victims' identities confirmed within the next 48 hours, Yolo County Undersheriff Matt Davis said Monday at a news conference. Authorities continued searching the facility Monday, although Davis said investigators don't believe there are more victims. 'We're going to make sure with every available resource that no stone is left unturned and there are no individuals still left on site,' Davis said. Several family members have identified their loved ones as among the missing, and other relatives have expressed frustration over the lack of official information from authorities. No further details about the ongoing investigation, which is being led by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, were released. Two companies at the property, Devastating Pyrotechnics and Blackstar Fireworks, had state fireworks licenses, according to a Cal Fire spokesperson. The state fire marshal 'will verify if the licensee was operating within the licensing requirements,' according to the spokesperson. But the head of Devastating Pyrotechnics, 48-year-old Kenneth Chee, was denied a federal license to acquire or possess fireworks for reasons that weren't immediately clear, according to interviews and a Chronicle review of public records. The explosion last Tuesday collapsed the fireworks warehouse in the rural community of Esparto, about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento. The blast also ignited a 78-acre fire, prompting evacuations. As they await official confirmation, people whose family members remain missing after the explosion created GoFundMe pages to help the surviving relatives with funeral costs as well as transportation, child care and other needs in the wake of lost income. One verified fundraising page identified Jhony and Jesus Ramos as two brothers who disappeared after the explosion. Jesus Ramos, an 18-year-old expecting father, was working his first day on the job when the explosion happened, according to the fundraiser. Other verified GoFundMe pages identified Carlos Rodriguez and Joel 'Jr.' Melendez among the missing. According to the fundraisers, Rodriguez was a husband and father; Melendez was the main provider for his pregnant wife and their 11-month-old son. A Facebook post by CWC Life, a Christian church in Manteca (San Joaquin County), identified Angel Voller as one of the victims 'who tragically passed away in the Yolo County fire and explosion.' An Instagram post by Venture Academy Family of Schools in Stockton identified Voller as a former star baseball player, who had been named Pitcher of the Year by the California Collegiate Athletic Association. 'Angel was a fierce competitor and the most loyal friend and teammate you could ever ask for,' the school wrote in a post. 'Angel's impact on our program, his presence and his infectious smile will never be forgotten.'
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- 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
08-07-2025
- 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.
CBS News
06-07-2025
- CBS News
Remains found of 7 missing workers after explosions at California fireworks warehouse, officials say
Yolo County officials confirmed Saturday afternoon that all seven of the missing workers' remains have been found after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Esparto. The coroner's office is still working to identify the remains. Autopsies and DNA testing are set to begin this upcoming week. This comes as the state fire marshal and agencies across the region have been at the scene all day, with officials saying they planned to blow up some undetonated fireworks and hazardous materials at the scene Saturday with small, controlled explosions. The explosion occurred Tuesday evening at a warehouse that was not permitted to store fireworks in Esparto. That property is owned by Yolo County Sheriff's Lieutenant Sam Machado, a county official said. Machado's home on the property was destroyed in the explosions and it's unclear if he was injured. On Friday, officials said human remains were located after the coroner's division gained access to the site, but details at the time were limited. A family identified three brothers — 18-year-old Jesus Ramos, 22-year-old Jhony Ramos and 28-year-old Junior Melendez — as three of the seven who were missing. A fourth person was also identified by family as Carlos Rodriguez.
CNN
04-07-2025
- CNN
Search continues for 7 missing after huge explosion at California fireworks warehouse
Rescue crews were searching on Thursday for seven people still missing days after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Northern California shook a tiny farming community and forced the cancellation of nearby July Fourth celebrations. The barrage of fireworks that exploded Tuesday caused a massive blaze that led to other spot fires and collapsed the building in Yolo County about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento. Family members gathered near a sheriff's checkpoint about a mile from the blast site in rural Esparto, hoping for news about their loved ones. Syanna Ruiz, who is pregnant, said her boyfriend, 18-year-old Jesus Ramos, was working his first day at the warehouse when the explosion occurred. Ramos' brothers, 22-year-old Johnny Ramos and 28-year-old Junior Melendez, were also missing, she said. 'I'm just praying to God that some way, somehow, they're OK,' Ruiz told the Sacramento Bee on Wednesday. Two people were treated for injuries, officials said. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. 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 during a briefing Thursday afternoon. 'We appreciate and understand how much you want answers, and we're doing everything we can to bring you that.' The warehouse was managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has more than 30 years of experience designing and producing fireworks shows in the Bay Area, according to a screenshot of its website before it was taken down. The company, with headquarters in both San Francisco and Esparto, focuses mainly on display fireworks for big productions instead of those for retail. 'Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,' the company said in a statement. 'Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.' After Tuesday's blast, officials in nearby Sutter and Yuba counties issued a statement calling the company 'a trusted partner and a cherished part of our regional fireworks celebrations.' Living near a fireworks warehouse always means a risk of fire and explosion, said fire investigator expert Richard Meier, but it is especially dangerous when it involves fireworks for large shows. 'You don't want to live in the house right next door,' he said, adding that such large fireworks can 'shoot a quarter of a mile or more.' Meier said anything from a nearby brushfire to workers using equipment that were potential ignition sources could have triggered the explosion. Fireworks being stored too closely in large quantity also could have contributed to the scale of the blast. The company's lawyer didn't immediately respond to question about whether the business was manufacturing fireworks on-site or how many fireworks were stored at the facility. Authorities were working with the property's owner and monitoring the area using drones to find the missing people as small explosions continued late Wednesday, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. The fire was held at nearly 80 acres after scorching surrounding agricultural fields, officials said. '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. Nisa Gutierrez told the Sacramento CBS affiliate KOVR-TV that the blast was so strong it blew open the doors of her home, damaging the door frames. She and her daughter were in their yard and were nearly knocked over as their pony and goats scattered. 'We hear like a big boom, and feel the wave,' Gutierrez said. 'I thought it was a bomb.' Crews including a team with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were working to enable safe access to the site 'to conduct recovery operations and bolster investigative efforts for the explosion investigation,' the statement said. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said it was tracking what happened and that state ground and air resources were deployed. 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. 'This tragic incident is a sobering reminder of the many hands behind the scenes who help create joy for others,' they said in a statement.
