By: Sonora Slater for The Dirt
In the early evening of July 1, an explosion at a fireworks storage facility near Esparto rocked nearby homes, killing seven men who were working in the facility at the time of the explosion and resulting in a grass fire that smoldered for days. There is still no conclusive answer for what caused the explosion, and families continue to grieve their losses while legal battles and investigative work begins—and debates about fireworks laws gain new ground.
The explosion at a warehouse just miles west of Davis sparked an 80-acre grass fire. CalFire responded, and was joined by neighboring agencies, including the Esparto and Winters fire departments. Certain regions of Esparto were temporarily evacuated, and many residents lost power, while others dealt with broken windows or debris in their yards from the blast. Nearby farmland and crops were damaged.
Although emergency services were able to put out spot fires and work to contain the fire, there were limits to what they could immediately do as fireworks actively exploded for nearly two days. This delayed any potential rescue efforts for the seven men who are believed to have been working inside the factory when the explosion happened. When it was safe for a full search, the deaths of all seven individuals were confirmed with human remains found at the site.
New firework ordinances
A new firework ordinance had just taken effect in Yolo County on the day of the explosion. The County board of supervisors had approved an ordinance increasing fines on illegal fireworks ten times—from $100 per infraction to $1000. The ordinance was designed to keep high fire risk zones safe. Esparto is recognized as a high fire risk zone, where even sparklers are outlawed.
Multiple news sources have reported the warehouse was not zoned to store fireworks, and was listed as agricultural land.
A lawsuit filed on July 18 by Etta James Farming LLC called the warehouse “an unlawful and unpermitted commercial-grade fireworks operation,” citing damage to their wheat and bean crops, and alleging a failure to follow safety protocols. A hearing has been set, and other lawsuits from affected parties are expected to follow. The civil case—CV2025-2088—is assigned to Judge Samuel McAdam, with a case management conference scheduled for Nov. 17, 2025.
Devastating Pyrotechnics, the group in charge of the warehouse at the time of the explosion, did have an active state license for fireworks, but improper zoning could have led to less stringent safety checks on the property. Their licences have now been suspended.
Adding to the nuance of the criminal investigation, the land where the explosion happened is owned by a Yolo County Sheriff’s Lieutenant and his wife, who also works at the sheriff’s office where the initial criminal investigation into the incident took place. Both have since been placed on paid administrative leave in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Although employees of the sheriff’s office have been involved in tasks like searching for victims and serving search warrants since the explosion, the state Fire Marshal’s office has been looking into the case separately from the sheriff’s office, alongside the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. On July 18, the Yolo County board of supervisors sent a letter requesting the Department of Justice’s involvement in the investigation, but so far there has been no confirmation of them accepting the request.
Offering support
Near the end of July, a joint funeral was held for two victims, brothers Jesus Ramos and Jhony Ramos, Jr. The explosion happened on Jesus’ first day on the job, and his girlfriend is currently pregnant with his child. Angel Mathew Voller, Joel Jeremias Melendez, Neil Justin Li, Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, and ChristopherChirstopher Goltiao Bocog were also killed in the blast.
The Esparto community has rallied around those mourning, starting GoFundMes and attending memorial services. On a fundraising page for Maria Melendez, the wife of a victim, a relative expressed gratitude for the nearly $30,000 that has been raised to support her as she faces tragedy and prepares to give birth to her second child.
“We are deeply grateful for the support, love, and donations received during this incredibly difficult time,” Melendez’s relative wrote. “As we continue to pray for answers, we’re coming together to support Maria and her children. Donations will help provide essential needs [and] childcare.”
Community debates continuing fireworks shows
The explosion happened three days before scheduled Fourth of July fireworks celebrations. Some cities whose fireworks were being stored in the warehouse, including Lodi and Cloverdale, cancelled their shows, while others postponed and scrambled to find replacement supplies or downsize the planned show. Cities whose fireworks were stored elsewhere, including Winters, Woodland and Davis, continued with their planned events, and faced mixed reactions from the public for doing so.
Anya Clasen commented on a public City of Davis Facebook post on July 3, saying the city should cancel the event out of respect for those affected by the explosion.
“People are grieving and suffering,” Clasen wrote. “It is utterly tone deaf to be shooting off fireworks while the wounds are so raw.”
Many also shared concerns in the comments section about the negative impact of fireworks on pets, wildlife and people with PTSD, and asked the city to switch to a drone show, which is done for the Davis Chamber of Commerce’s Celebrate Davis event. Still, others noted a centralized city fireworks show often functions as a way to dissuade citizens from setting off their own fireworks unsafely and illegally, keeping the dangerous explosives in the hands of trained personnel.
