Lawmakers introduce bill to strengthen fireworks licensing in wake of Esparto blast
A bill designed to tighten licensing requirements for fireworks companies was introduced in the California state Senate on Friday.
The bill is a response to the deadly July 1 explosion in Esparto that killed seven people and sparked the 78-acre Oakdale Fire. It was introduced by state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, D-West Sacramento, and lists Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, who also represents the area, as a co-author.
Senate Bill 828 attempts to close two of the licensing “loopholes” that contributed to the lax oversight of the Esparto fireworks compound. It would require license-holders to provide their local permits to Cal Fire and prevent people convicted of certain violent crimes from obtaining fireworks licenses.
Cabaldon, who described the explosion as a “wholly preventable tragedy” in a July interview, said the incident was a wake up call and pledged to review and toughen fireworks regulations.
The Esparto site held state and federal licenses but lacked the local permits required under state law. Obtaining local permits would have required additional fire safety and hazardous material mitigation planning — requirements that the facility did not meet even though safety and planning officials in the county knew about the fireworks for years.
Applicants for state fireworks licenses have to tell Cal Fire where they intend to store explosives but, under current law, Cal Fire is not required to verify that the storage location adheres to local permitting rules.
Limiting the ability of people with certain criminal convictions from obtaining fireworks licenses would bring California law closer to the federal standards. Because Devastating Pyrotechnics CEO Kenneth Chee was convicted of a violent felony in the 1990s, he is ineligible from holding a federal fireworks license, but he was able to obtain a state license.
If the bill passes and is signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Chee would be ineligible for a state fireworks license. His current state licenses were revoked by Cal Fire last month. Devastating Pyrotechnics’ federal license was issued to Gary Chan, whose role and level of involvement in the company remain unclear.
Cal Fire cannot comment on pending legislation, a spokesperson for the agency formally known as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. But the agency has had productive conversations with lawmakers about fireworks licensing, said State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant.
