What we know about the people linked to the deadly Esparto fireworks explosion
Two fireworks businesses are connected to the Esparto property where a series of explosions July 1 killed seven people.
But there are a number of people from the fireworks industry and small-town public safety positions with ties to the compound and companies based there.
The cause of the inferno — and extent of the fireworks operations at the unpermitted facility — remains unknown.
We know about the people associated with the companies and property under investigation.
Devastating principals
Kenneth Chee is the owner and CEO of Devastating Pyrotechnics. Chee has worked with fireworks in California for 20 years. He’s a San Francisco resident who works as an optician for Costco in the South Bay. Chee assisted other display operators before getting his own license in 2008. Chee was convicted of a violent felony in 1998, according a Cal Fire background check from Chee’s license application, making him ineligible for a federal import license.
Jack Lee is the longtime operations manager for Devastating Pyrotechnics. He is the registered owner of the company’s San Francisco headquarters, which is also the address listed on Chee’s fireworks and optician licenses. When Devastating Pyrotechnics held public shows, Lee was responsible for site storage, product safety and security. He has had a basic commercial license to operate fireworks since 2011.
Neil Li, 41, was the general manager of Devastating Pyrotechnics. Li had more than 20 years of industry experience, but has never held a California license to work with fireworks. Li was killed in the explosion. He split his time between Northern California and China, visiting Liuyang, a city known for fireworks manufacturing. A San Jose State graduate, Li was married and lived in San Francisco. He promised Rio Vista officials a “memorable” fireworks show before the July 4 holiday, writing a proposal weeks before his death.
Gary Chan Jr. is the person named on Devastating Pyrotechnics’ federal import license, a license that Chee was ineligible for. Chan’s name does not appear anywhere else in public records related to the company, and he has never held a California license to work with explosives.
Public officials
Craig Cutright, a volunteer firefighter, worked as a show producer for Devastating Pyrotechnics before forming his own company, BlackStar Fireworks, in 2023. He went on administrative leave from the Esparto Fire Protection District following the incident. He is the listed owner of a residential property near the decimated facility, where his fireworks company was based.
Curtis Lawrence, chief of the Esparto Fire Protection District, recused his department from the investigations into the incident. Fire district records show that he has communicated with Devastating Pyrotechnics and BlackStar Fireworks and knew they were based in Esparto. During a news conference following the blast, he said “we know that the property belongs to a pyrotechnics company that specializes in commercial display fireworks.” He said that he and the district made “site visits” to the property but his department had not conducted inspections.
Sam Machado, a Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant, lived in a home at the Esparto property, which he and his wife, Tammy, own. A Sheriff’s Office employee since 2002, he did not return to work after the incident and was placed on administrative leave July 10, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He formerly served as assistant chief of the Madison Fire Protection District, where he worked beneath Tom Lopez, who is now Yolo’s sheriff.
Tammy Machado, a Yolo County Sheriff’s Office employee, lived in a home at the Esparto property, which she owns with her husband, Sam. She did not return to work after the incident and was placed on administrative leave July 10.
Reiko Matsumura, a Yolo County sheriff’s deputy, is named on property records for a home and farmland plotted beside her sister Tammy’s property, where the explosions took place. She has not returned to work since the incident, the Sheriff’s Office said, though it was not known Thursday if she had been placed on leave.
Jerry Matsumura, a lifelong Esparto resident and father of Tammy and Reiko, died in 2015. He was a third-generation Esparto farmer, a local fire commissioner and member of the Western Pyrotechnic Association. He appears to have owned the land now owned by his daughters.
Tom Lopez, Yolo County Sheriff, formerly served as chief of the Madison Fire Protection District, which neighbors Esparto and had held property in and around the city, according to public records. While working for the district, Sam Machado was his assistant chief. He recused the Sheriff’s Office from the investigations into the incident to “eliminate any misunderstandings surrounding that role,” but said his office was ”fully committed to cooperating with the ongoing investigation.”
The victims
The seven people, including Li, died in the July 1 explosions and were believed to have been working at the facility leading up to the explosions. The Bee has previously written about each of the fathers, brothers and sons.
Jesús Ramos, 18, of San Pablo, was remembered as a talented athlete, gifted artist and social magnet. The youngest of four boys, he grew up in the Bay Area. Ramos was on his first day of work at the Esparto facility when the explosions occurred. He graduated from high school in June and leaves behind his parents, three siblings, a younger sister and his pregnant girlfriend, Syanna Ruiz.
Jhony Ramos, 22, of San Pablo, was Jesús’ older brother. As a child, he played Pop Warner football and idolized Bay Area sports teams. Teachers remembered him as a kindhearted leader who protected his peers. He hoped to follow his father and brother into the trades, aiming for a future in plumbing.
Joel “Junior” Melendez, 28, of Sacramento, worked tirelessly to support his growing family. Melendez ran a landscaping business and was training as a barber, having showcased his work on social media. He lived with his wife, Maria, and their 11-month-old son. A second child was on the way. Friends and clients described him as dependable and generous, always eager to lend a hand.
Carlos Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas, was a husband and father. After his death, a family altar was adorned with a photo of Rodriguez, Spanish candles and a bottle of Remy Martin. His wife, Tiffany Nolan-Rodriguez, wrote that despite life’s imperfections, he always showed love for his children and family. A GoFundMe for the family described the loss as devastating and life-altering.
Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton, was a standout pitcher at his high school, ending his senior baseball season with a 10-0 record. He was named Central California Athletic Alliance Pitcher of the Year. Voller was described by his coach as humble and hardworking, someone who took accountability seriously. He was mourned by his church community in Manteca.
Christopher Bocog, 45, of San Francisco, also known by his rap alias “Oopz,” was involved in fireworks for years and worked with Devastating Pyrotechnics. His social media showed displays he helped create, including performances for Chinese New Year events in Union Square. His wife described him as a devoted father and partner. His sister told KCRA that Bocog was passionate about his work and deeply committed to his family.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
