Esparto Fireworks Explosion: Property Owners and Neighbors May Have Legal Claims: What You Need to Know

If you owned property near the July 1, 2025 fireworks explosion in Esparto, California — or suffered damage to your home, land, crops, or structures — multiple responsible parties have now been identified, and your window to file a civil claim may be narrowing.

What Happened in Esparto on July 1, 2025?

At approximately 9 a.m. on July 1, 2025, a series of massive explosions tore through a fireworks storage facility operated by Devastating Pyrotechnics, LLC near County Roads 86 and 23 in Esparto, California — a small farming community in Yolo County.

The blasts were catastrophic. Seven workers were killed instantly, two others were hospitalized, and the explosion ignited what Cal Fire named the Oakdale Fire — a wildfire that burned approximately 78 acres of Yolo County land before it was fully contained on July 6. Residents in Esparto and the nearby community of Madison were placed under mandatory evacuation orders. Multiple structures on and near the property were destroyed or damaged.

The smoke from the explosion was visible from space.

April 2026 Update: Arrests Have Now Been Made

As of April 10, 2026, multiple individuals have been arrested and criminally charged in connection with the explosion, including:

• Lieutenant Samuel Machado, a Yolo County Sheriff's Office lieutenant who, along with his wife Tammy Machado (also a sheriff's employee), owned the property where the illegal fireworks operation was located. Lt. Machado faces 26 criminal charges.
• Kenneth Chee, founder and CEO of Devastating Pyrotechnics, who was arrested in Florida. Chee had previously been denied a federal ATF license due to a criminal conviction — yet continued to operate and was granted state licenses from the California State Fire Marshal.
• Craig Cutright, owner of Blackstar Fireworks, which also operated out of the Esparto site. Cutright also served as a volunteer member of the Esparto Fire Protection District.
• Ronald Botelho III, who faces additional felony and misdemeanor charges.

The Yolo County District Attorney's Office has announced formal indictments.

"Officials Knew, None Acted" — The Grand Jury's Damning Findings

In March 2026, the Yolo County Civil Grand Jury released a 32-page report with a title that says everything: "Esparto Fireworks Explosion: Officials Knew, None Acted."

The report's findings are extraordinary:

• Yolo County ordinances had banned fireworks businesses anywhere in the county since 2001 — including unincorporated areas
• Nearly a dozen county employees knew about the illegal pyrotechnics operation at the Esparto site for years and took no action
• County officials were alerted as early as June 2022 — three years before the explosion — when a tip was received that two pyrotechnic businesses were operating on an agriculturally zoned property
• A county site visit occurred in 2022. Email records show initial steps toward enforcement — and then nothing. No follow-up. No enforcement action.
• The Yolo County Board of Supervisors fostered a culture of tolerance for code violations, particularly in rural areas
• The Yolo County Sheriff's Office failed to enforce fireworks ordinances and failed to adequately review the outside employment of its own sworn officers — including the lieutenant who owned the property
• Cal-OSHA fined Devastating Pyrotechnics $221,000 for 15 violations found at the facility

A separate Cal Fire task force report issued 37 recommendations for reforming California's fireworks licensing and enforcement system — tacit acknowledgment that the regulatory framework itself failed.

What Types of Property Damage Are Compensable?

If you suffered any of the following as a result of the July 1, 2025 explosion and Oakdale Fire, you may have a civil claim:

• Structural damage to your home, outbuildings, barns, or commercial structures
• Agricultural land damage — burned fields, destroyed crops, damaged irrigation systems
• Smoke and debris damage to structures, vehicles, or equipment
• Livestock losses
• Evacuation-related losses — temporary housing, lost business income during mandatory evacuation
• Diminution in property value — even properties not physically burned may have suffered a reduction in market value due to proximity to the explosion site
• Cleanup and remediation costs — including removal of explosive debris
• Emotional distress tied to property loss and displacement
• Business interruption losses for farming operations or rural businesses disrupted by the fire and evacuation

The Bottom Line for Esparto Area Property Owners

You did not choose to live near an illegal fireworks operation. You did not choose to be placed under evacuation orders on the Fourth of July. You did not choose to have your land, your structures, your crops, or your livelihood damaged by an explosion that the grand jury has now confirmed was entirely preventable.

Multiple government agencies knew. Multiple private actors operated illegally for years. Seven people died. Families were displaced. Property was destroyed.

California law exists to hold those responsible parties accountable — and to put money in your pocket for losses you should never have suffered.