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.
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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) -
Fireworks explode at a fireworks warehouse near Esparto, Calif., Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) -
Smoke and flames rise during a fireworks warehouse explosion near Esparto, Calif., Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP) -
A firefighting air tanker drops Foscheck fire retardant on a hillside ahead of the County Fire on July 2, 2018 in Esparto, California. (Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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.