Yolo supervisors ask California AG to lead Esparto explosion investigation

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors has asked the California Department of Justice to lead the investigation into the fireworks facility explosion that killed seven people in Esparto earlier this month.

The decision to bring in an outside agency is intended to rebuild trust in an investigation involving several local officials and employees, the elected body said.

“There is a strong public perception of conflicts within the YCSO (Yolo County Sheriff’s Office),” Mary Vixie Sandy, chair of the board, wrote to California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a letter dated Friday. “That could undermine the integrity of the on-going investigations and any subsequent prosecution of responsible parties.”

The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and the Esparto Fire Protection District have both recused themselves from the investigations, which are being led by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and Cal-OSHA. The board is asking that the state Department of Justice spearhead any prosecutions that may come out of the investigation.

“While we do not question the ability and integrity of the District Attorney to support the CAL FIRE and CAL OSHA investigations,” Sandy’s letter continued, referring to Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, “ensuring the public’s confidence in the investigation and outcomes is of critical importance to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and our community.

“It is our strong belief that the public perception and integrity of the investigation elements currently being carried out at the local level would be best served by the direct involvement of the Department of Justice.”

The Esparto Fire Protection District recused itself and ceded the investigation to Cal Fire immediately after the explosion, which occurred July 1 near a property occupied by one of the local fire district’s volunteer firefighters, Craig Cutright.

Cutright owns BlackStar Fireworks, one of the companies registered to the facility. Cutright also spent years working closely with Devastating Pyrotechnics, the company at the center of the investigation. The facility did not have the proper permits to warehouse large quantities of fireworks. Cutright is on administrative leave from the department.

Recent Sacramento Bee reporting has also uncovered a close relationship between the companies and Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence.

The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office recused itself more recently, due to the fact that the property where the explosion occurred is owned by Lt. Sam Machado, a 20-plus-year veteran who runs field operations for the department. He also worked as assistant fire chief for the neighboring Madison Fire Protection District, under now-Sheriff Tom Lopez. Machado’s wife, Tammy Machado, is a non-sworn employee of the department. Both are currently on administrative leave.

The Attorney General’s Office had previously told reporters that they were keeping a close eye on the investigation due to potential conflicts of interest. The board’s request has the support of the Sheriff’s Office and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, according to Sandy’s letter.

Sandy wrote that the Board of Supervisors “welcomes the Department of Justice’s immediate intervention to manage this complex investigation, maintain public confidence, and ensure the investigations are completed without any potential conflicts.”

The investigation into the explosion remains ongoing. Evacuation orders and road closures in the area were lifted on Thursday.

The county released a list of questions and answers related to the explosion and surrounding investigations on its website Friday.

This story was originally published July 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM.