Yolo County officials aware of illegal fireworks at Esparto site years before explosion, grand jury says

Yolo County officials knew of Esparto fireworks businesses but didn't act, grand jury says

By Brandon Downs A Yolo County grand jury report about the 2025 Esparto fireworks explosion says that although numerous local officials “knew about the fireworks businesses, none of them took any action.” The explosion happened on July 1, 2025, at a site where officials said Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC and Blackstar Fireworks, Inc. manufactured and stored dangerous fireworks. The explosion killed seven workers. “Public records indicate that var…

Report: County leaders knew about illegal fireworks before Esparto explosion

A scathing report released by a Yolo County Grand Jury on Thursday found widespread lack of oversight and enforcement led to the deadly fireworks explosion last July that killed seven workers at a Yolo County warehouse. Among the dead, four had ties to the Bay Area. The jury said that public records indicate various top Yolo County officials “were aware of illegal fireworksoperations at the site for at least three years prior to the incident.” “…

Grand jury blasts ‘failure’ of Yolo County officials for deadly Esparto explosion

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yolo County officials failed for years to shut down an illegal fireworks operation in Esparto despite repeated warning signs, a civil grand jury report released Thursday found, a lapse that preceded a July 1 explosion that killed…

Yolo County officials aware of illegal fireworks at Esparto site years before explosion, grand jury says

Top Yolo County officials were aware of illegal fireworks operations at the site of the deadly 2025 Esparto explosions for at least three years but “no code enforcement occurred,” according to a civil grand jury’s report.

Grand Jury: Yolo County ignored Esparto fireworks operation before deadly explosion

A Yolo County Grand Jury report highlights missed opportunities to stop a fireworks operation in Esparto before a deadly explosion.

Grand Jury: Yolo Officials Knew of Illegal Fireworks Operation for Years but Failed to Act Before Deadly Esparto Explosion

The Yolo County Civil Grand Jury report concludes that multiple local officials knew about an illegal fireworks operation in Esparto but failed to take action, leading to a deadly explosion in July 2025 that killed seven workers.