Esparto fireworks blast that killed seven happened a year ago. Here's what to know

A year after a fireworks warehouse explosion in Esparto killed seven workers, families are still grieving and eight people face charges tied to the deadly blast. Five men, including the fireworks company owner and a former Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant, are charged with murder.

Bee Staff Writer Sharon Bernstein, who covers criminal justice issues, connected with families who still mourn. Read her detailed piece “Esparto, a year later — how the deadly blast engulfed families. ‘Lives are ruined.”

Here are key takeaways from her story:

The July 1, 2025, explosion at a warehouse on County Road 23 killed Carlos Rodriguez-Mora, Angel Voller, Neil Li, Joel Melendez, Christopher Bocog, Jesus Ramos and Jhony Ramos. The warehouse contained Devastating Pyrotechnics. fireworks.

A Yolo County grand jury indicted eight people on April 3. Kenneth Chee, Samuel Machado, Gary Chan, Jack Lee and Douglas Tollefsen each face seven counts of murder, along with explosives-related charges.

Prosecutors say the company imported about 11 million pounds of fireworks or materials to make them by 2025, cut corners on safety and sold “overcharged” products on the black market. Defendants have denied wrongdoing, calling it an industrial accident.

A Yolo County civil grand jury report released in March said county building officials promised in 2022 to “tread lightly” when inspecting the property because it was owned by sheriff’s deputies. The county has disputed the report.

Families left behind are struggling. Tiffany Nolan Rodriguez had to bring her son to the coroner’s office for a DNA sample to identify his father. Maria Melendez was pregnant with her second child when her husband Joel was killed, and has filed a wrongful death claim against the county.