Photo by Melanie Hughes

• In addition to all the lightning and thunder, Humboldt County was struck by a 3.4 magnitude quake Saturday around 11:12 am. [NBC Bay Area]
• Amid the thunder, lightning, and ongoing conflict in Iran, residents in SF and the East Bay expressed concern Saturday night over a private 10-minute fireworks show displayed from a barge in the bay as part of an annual party for a local company. [SFGate]
• A warehouse worker in Southern California disgruntled with corporations allegedly started a fire at his workplace that caused $500 million in damages. [The Press-Enterprise]
• A small crowd of labor union and farmworker supporters braved the downpour Saturday to watch a scaled-down parade of dancers and performers at the 25th annual — newly labeled — Farmworkers Day Festivities in the Mission, despite all four of the event’s bands canceling due to the weather. [Chronicle]

• Cosplayers of all stripes converged on San Jose this weekend at Fandomcon Silicon Valley, a three-day convention celebrating multiple genres, including anime, comics, gaming, sci-fi, and popular culture. [KRON4]

Image: Leanne Maxwell/SFist

A Yolo County sheriff's lieutenant and his wife, who owned the property where last summer's deadly fireworks explosion occurred in Esparto, have been arrested along with five others, and formal charges were set to be announced Friday.

Yolo County Sheriff's Lieutenant Sam Machado, 45, now faces seven counts of murder in connection with the July 1, 2025 explosion on his property, which housed operations for a company called Devastating Pyrotechnics. His wife, Tammy Machado, a sworn administrator in the sheriff's office, was also arrested, and her pending charges are not yet known, as KCRA reports.

Tammy Machado reportedly posted bail.

61-year-old Craig Cutright, a volunteer firefighter for the Esparto Fire District, was also arrested Thursday. He is listed as an employee of Devastating Pyrotechnics, and the owner of another company, Blackstar Fireworks, which also operated out of the Macados' property.

As we learned from a civil grand jury report two weeks ago, Tammy Machado inherited the property where the explosion occurred along with her sister. And their father, local farmer Jerry Matsumura, had established a tradition of seasonal fireworks sales from his barn that later grew into a larger business.

Also arrested Thursday was 48-year-old Kenneth Chee, who had been Matsumura's business partner when he was alive, and who became the owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics. Chee, who owned a residence in San Francisco as of last summer, was arrested in Florida and booked on seven counts of murder as well as conspiracy.

65-year-old Jack Lee, the longtime operations manager of the fireworks company, was also arrested and faces seven counts of murder.

Gary Young Chan Jr., 43, was arrested and is being held in Santa Clara County Jail. As KCRA reports, he was the federal license holder for Devastating Pyrotechnics.

And Ronald Botelho III, who was arrested in Del Norte County in mid-December on various fireworks charges, had new charges added this week, per KCRA.

The civil grand jury's investigation focused on whether misconduct had occurred among county officials, and their report found that multiple county officials had likely turned a blind eye for years to the illegal storage of professional grade fireworks at the Machados' property. While fireworks sales are illegal in Yolo County, the business was allowed to continue operating for years, selling fireworks to cities for Fourth of July festivities.

The report pointed out the clear conflict of interest with the Machados being employed by local law enforcement, and owning the property where illegal and unsafe activities were taking place.

There remain questions about the county board of supervisors and their potential negligence, but the board denied any wrongdoing following the release of the report.

Seven men were killed in the explosion and subsequent fire. They were Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, of Sacramento; Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, of San Pablo; Jhony Ernesto Ramos, 22, of San Pablo; Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton; Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas; Neil Justin Li, 41, of San Francisco; and Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, of San Francisco.

Cal Fire, which completed its own investigation into the explosion earlier this year, expressed support for the criminal probe.

"We are encouraged to see this case continue to proceed towards justice," said State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant in a statement. "We will remain engaged to support the Yolo County District Attorney's office as they bring this case to trial."

Berlant added, "As we approach the 4th of July, I must reiterate our zero tolerance towards illegal fireworks."

Previously: Civil Grand Jury Report Raises Questions About Yolo County Officials' Handling of Fireworks Facility

A damning new civil grand jury report points the finger at Yolo County officials who, the report says, knew about the illegal fireworks storage facility in Esparto for years but failed to enforce safety codes, leading to last July's deadly explosion.

The dramatic, cinematic explosion at a fireworks company's storage facility in Esparto on July 1, 2025, which took the lives of seven men, could have been prevented through simple code enforcement. That is the conclusion of a new civil grand jury report, which comes amid a simultaneous criminal investigation by the Yolo County District Attorney's Office, and a separate investigation by Cal Fire. And it's a conclusion that is likely to bolster wrongful death suits filed against the county by the families of the victims.

The 32-page report is titled "Esparto Fireworks Explosion: Officials Knew, None Acted," and as KCRA reports, it points to multiple points of failure by government officials, and to potential conflicts of interest and "blind eye" policies that led to the tragic fireworks conflagration.

It also suggests that multiple elected officials and law enforcement were aware that the fireworks facility existed, and it was allowed to freely operate despite a county-wide ban on fireworks.

"Inexplicably, no code enforcement occurred, even though all dangerous fireworks had been banned by ordinance throughout rural Yolo County since 2001,” the report states. “In the absence of official oversight and enforcement, unmitigated expansion of the fireworks businesses operating at the site in Esparto led directly to death and destruction from the Esparto Fireworks Explosion."

The ironically named Devastating Pyrotechnics was a business that grew out of a hobby of longtime Esparto resident and local farmer Jerry Matsumura. As the report recounts, residents of the small town of Esparto (pop. 3,572) were familiar, for decades, with the local, unofficial fireworks displays that went off from Matsumura's farm in the spring and fall. The spring show was for Matsumura to test out new products — part of a sideline business that grew out of his own hobby, selling professional-grade fireworks to local towns and cities. And the fall show was to dispose of whatever he had left in his inventory after summertime sales were finished.

After Matsumura died in 2015, the business passed on to business partner Kenneth Chee — who we learned last year was a San Francisco resident — and the property passed on to Matsumura's daughters, Rieko Matsumura and Tammy Machado, along with Machado's husband Sam Machado. And herein lies the conflict of interest — all three were employed by the Yolo County Sheriff's Office at the time of the explosion. (Rieko Matsumura has since retired from the department.)

The fireworks business appears to have grown significantly over the last decade, and not without the knowledge of people high up in county government. The report points to a June 2, 2022 tip given to a county Building Services department official that two fireworks businesses were operating on the property.

Officials reported responded that Esparto fire officials and the ATF had signed off the facility as having storage for both dangerous and "safe and sane" fireworks. And a new building added to the site was reportedly represented to the county as being storage for almonds.

Then there's this damning detail: "Following the site visit, the County Community Services Department took steps toward a possible enforcement action against the property. But within days, this conversation about the site – at least in email records provided by the County – abruptly ceased. The department failed to take any action, and the fireworks business continued to quietly operate and even expand."

The grand jury points to multiple points of failure in the system, including an assumption by local officials that the state was responsible for monitorying the facility, and the fact that the county’s building and code enforcement divisions were understaffed. Also, the grand jury said they heard from sources that code enforcement was "a low priority" for the county board of supervisors, especially on farmland.

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors responded in a press release Thursday, saying, "While the Civil Grand Jury report raises important issues related to communication, coordination, and emergency response, it represents one part of a broader, ongoing process."

And, they add, "The Board of Supervisors respectfully disagrees with the report’s suggestion that the County does not take code enforcement seriously. While funding levels have varied historically, the Board has consistently supported and funded the County’s code enforcement program in recent (compared to previous) years and continues to recognize the essential role it plays in protecting community health and safety."

The explosion killed seven men who were working at the fireworks facility in the busy days before the Fourth of July. They were Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, of Sacramento; Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, of San Pablo; Jhony Ernesto Ramos, 22, of San Pablo; Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton; Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas; Neil Justin Li, 41, of San Francisco; and Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, of San Francisco.

After seeing the grand jury report, Lupe Mendoza-Melendez, the mother of Joel Melendez, tells KTVU, "I didn't know it was going to be that deep, that many people could have prevented it. I didn't know that many people could have saved my son, saved me, because part of me died with him."

Stay tuned as we await the results of the criminal probe still being pursued by the county DA's office.

Related: Seven Victims Identified In Yolo County Fireworks Warehouse Blast, Four Were Bay Area Residents

Of the seven people who died in last week's explosion and fire at Devastating Pyrotechnics in Yolo County, two were residents of San Francisco and two were residents of the East Bay city of San Pablo.

The identities of all seven victims in the July 1 explosion in Esparto have been confirmed by the Yolo County Coroner’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, and we now know that four of them lived in the Bay Area.

We learned earlier this week that brothers Jesus and Jhony Ramos both grew up in San Francisco and attended the Mission District’s Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 School, from kindergarten through eight grade. Now, per a sheriff's office release, we learn that the Ramos brothers, ages 18 and 22, were both residents of San Pablo.

Also killed in the explosion and fire were Neil Justin Li, 41, of San Francisco; and Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, of San Francisco.

The other victims have been identified as Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, of Sacramento, who was also a brother to Jesus and Jhony Ramos; Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton; and Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas.

The official cause of death for each individual will be announced later, pending toxicology results.

Earlier this week, Yolo County Sheriff’s deputies were joined by SFPD officers and the Sacramento Sheriff's Bomb Squad in serving a search warrant at a home in SF's Richmond District, at Second Avenue and Anza Street. The home was at the same address that is registered with the state as the address of Devastating Pyrotechnics, and it is a home where the company's owner Kenneth Chee, either currently lives or previously lived. The residence reportedly belongs to a relative of Chee.

As the Chronicle reported Thursday, Chee, 48, has worked as an optician for Costco, and before the explosion occurred last week he was already under investigation in Southern California over the storage and packaging of fireworks. The investigation was looking into whether Chee may have been packaging display-grade fireworks with misleading labels that showed them to be of the "safe and sane" variety, among other things.

An attorney for Chee told the Chronicle that its information, via a source, was "inaccurate."

State Fire Marshal Chief Daniel Berlant sat for an interview with CBS Sacramento this week and he suggested that more search warrants will be carried out "into the near future."

"Our goal is if we find there to be any crime, or any wrongdoing, we not only want to give the family and community answers but we want to make sure if there was a violation of law or regulation that we can hold those individuals accountable," Berlant said.

He added, "While there are a lot of red flags in this incident, in general, it's too early right now to determine where it started and how it started. That's why we are dedicating resources to work to get to try to determine that."

Those red flags, Berlant said, include possible permitting issues with the site, and whether there was far larger of a quantity of fireworks being stored there than would be allowed under state regulations.

There is the added wrinkle that a Yolo County Sheriff's lieutenant owned the property in question and lost his own home in the blast. The sheriff's office has only said that Sheriff's Lieutenant Sam Machado is still employed with the department and is not involved in the investigation.

The investigation as a whole is being led by Cal Fire's Office of the State Fire Marshal.

CBS Sacramento also reports that an Esparto Fire Department volunteer firefighter, Craig Cutright, also had a local company, BlackStar Fireworks, with the same address as Devastating Pyrotechnics.

Previously: Explosion Leads to Massive Fire at NorCal Fireworks Warehouse, Seven Reported Missing

After last week’s Yolo County fireworks warehouse explosion killed seven people, an Inner Richmond home linked to the warehouse owner was raided Tuesday by SFPD, Yolo County Sheriff’s deputies, and the Sacramento Sheriff's Bomb Squad.

We knew there was probably another shoe to drop with the July 1 fireworks warehouse explosion that killed seven people last week, when the Chronicle reported the following day that the building in the legal fireworks warehouse that exploded was actually not permitted for fireworks storage. We just didn’t think that show would drop this close to home, specifically, in San Francisco’s Inner Richmond District.

But Hoodline was first with the news that multiple law enforcement agencies raided an Inner Richmond home on Tuesday afternoon, at Second Avenue and Anza Street. While the home is a residential San Francisco address, California Secretary of State records list it as the headquarters of the fireworks company Devastating Pyrotechnics, which owns the Esparto, California warehouse where the fatal explosion occurred.  

According to Hoodline, sometime after 2 pm Tuesday, “Two officers wearing Sacramento Sheriff's Bomb Squad shirts were observed in an unmarked car, and there may have been additional agencies involved. When asked for details, an SFPD officer told Hoodline San Francisco, ‘It's just a warrant. Nothing dangerous to the neighborhood,’ but declined to provide additional information."

Yolo County Sheriff's Office vehicles were also on hand as the search warrant was executed.

The Chronicle describes the address as the “former home of Kenneth Chee,” the current owner and CEO of Devastating Pyrotechnics. The Chronicle had also reported on July 4 that Chee was denied a license to own or possess fireworks, likely because of a 1998 gun charge for which he did some time in San Quentin.

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Det. Sina Ghaffarpour semi-confirmed to the Chronicle that this raid was related to the deadly fireworks blast. “We were there on a mutual aid request,” Ghaffarpour told the Chronicle. “I believe they were serving a search warrant related to the investigation of the Esparto fire.”

State officials were similarly tight-lipped. “Investigators are actively tracking down numerous leads and have served multiple search warrants as part of the investigation process,” Office of the State Fire Marshal deputy fire marshal Kara Garrett said in a statement to the Chronicle.

We should be clear that no one has yet been accused of or charged with any crimes in this matter. And on Tuesday, we also learned of more SF connections to the blast, as two of the explosion victims attended elementary and middle school in San Francisco.

Related: Explosion Leads to Massive Fire at NorCal Fireworks Warehouse, Seven Reported Missing [SFist]

Images via Hoodline

Illegal fireworks ignited dozens of fires across the Bay Area on the Fourth of July — from Oakland and Alameda to Antioch and San Jose — with Oakland Fire Department responding to more than 60 fires.

As the Chronicle reports, in Oakland, the fire department responded to more than four times the city’s average of 12–15 daily incidents on the July 4th holiday — not including yesterday's mammoth four-alarm warehouse fire, which appeared to be unrelated to fireworks.

As KPIX reports, among the most serious was a structure fire at a two-story duplex on the 1600 block of 78th Avenue, reported around 10:40 p.m. Friday. The blaze injured one resident and killed two dogs. About 30 firefighters responded, and the fire was under control by 11:15 p.m.

Update: This incident has been placed Under Control as of 11:14pm. Red Cross was requested for support services. Approximately 30 firefighters remain on scene. Two dogs died and one person transported by Falck. Cause of fire = illegal fireworks. https://t.co/BggT1tfw79 pic.twitter.com/3QHEL1ZwEq

— Oakland Fire Department (CA) (@OaklandFireCA) July 5, 2025

Alameda County Fire responded to about 26 fireworks-related calls, including dumpster and grass fires. “Nobody died, we just have a lot of tired firefighters,” said department spokesperson Cheryl Hurd.

As Mercury News reports, two homes in Alameda were destroyed and two others suffered minor damage in a fire sparked around 7:30 p.m. near Sandalwood Isle and Otis Drive. Fire crews knocked it down within 45 minutes. One home was vacant, and the resident of the other took refuge at a friend’s house. No injuries were reported.

As KPIX reports, a fireworks-related explosion in Antioch around midnight Saturday on Spanos Street injured five people, with injuries ranging from minor to critical, according to Contra Costa County Fire spokesperson Lauren Ono.

Earlier in the afternoon, fireworks ignited a vegetation fire behind Antioch’s Country Manor Park that quickly traveled uphill into the backyard of a home on Point Andrus Court. The flames reached a fence line, but crews managed to extinguish the fire within 15 minutes. No injuries were reported.

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In North Fair Oaks, an unincorporated area in San Mateo County, a juvenile was injured in a suspected fireworks incident and transported to Stanford Hospital, Redwood City Battalion Chief Jeff Balton confirmed. He said there were no significant fires in the area, calling it “good for us, and good for the community.”

San Jose Fire crews responded to a tree fire on Carmel Drive that spread to three homes and damaged two vehicles. One vehicle sustained heavy damage, and a resident was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to department spokesperson Hannah Denys.

Despite widespread fire activity, officials across the region reported no fatalities, thanks in large part to quick response from exhausted fire crews.

Top image: Screenshot from video; OaklandFireLive/Twitter

Other previous fireworks coverage on SFist.

The first of what will sadly likely not be the last local stories this weekend about casualties stemming from illegal fireworks arrives out of Hayward, where two people are reportedly in critical condition from fireworks exploding inside a home.

Back-to-back explosions reportedly occurred on the 27000 block of Mandarin Avenue in Hayward Thursday at 12:18 pm. Officers from the Hayward Police Department went to the block after a 911 call about a house fire.

As the department explains in a release, officers quickly "located an adult male suffering from injuries consistent with a fireworks-related explosion." And, while the officers were at the home, a second explosion occurred, leading to an evacuation of the property.

Two individuals were subsequently hospitalized, including the first man found by officers, and both are listed in critical conditions.

Firefighters arrived and contained the resultig fire from the explosions to a garage.

"Preliminary findings suggest the suspected manufacturing of illegal fireworks or explosives may have occurred at the residence," the police said.

The Alameda County Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit has been in called to assist with the safe removal of any explosives or devices.

Illegal fireworks remain a rampant problem — and a delight for some — all across the Bay Area during July Fourth celebrations. And while police departments try to deter the use of the fireworks by publicizing arrests — like these two last week — the use of illegal fireworks, largely bought easily and brought in from Nevada, is exremeley widespread.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Hayward Police Department at 510-293-7000.

Related: How a Dozen Legal Fireworks Stores In Nevada Power California’s Illegal Fireworks Craze

Photo by Stephen Mature/Getty Images

If you see illegal fireworks this weekend, they are almost certainly from one of about 13 perfectly legal fireworks stores in Nevada. And a look at these stores’ Yelp pages shows that almost all of their reviews are from California residents.

You wouldn’t know it from the way San Francisco sounds at night this time of year, but all forms of fireworks are illegal in the state of California, unless handled by a licensed professional. Yet we seem to know where these illegal fireworks are coming from.

A report from an SF Civil Grand Jury last year stated that “The San Francisco firework explosions booming around the city are more likely‬‭ from fireworks that are illegal in California but which are for sale in the neighboring state of‬‭ Nevada.” A similar state report from 2024 concludes that “Most informed estimates suggest that the thirteen stores immediately across the [Nevada-California] border account for at least 60 to 70 percent of the illegal fireworks used in California.” So yes, people are driving to Nevada to stock up on fireworks that are perfectly legal there, though completely illegal here.

A look at this Google Search map of “Nevada fireworks stores” shows that golly, a whole lot of these stores are concentrated right at the Nevada border! The Chronicle looks into the practice of Californians smuggling fireworks in from Nevada, with a focus on a legal fireworks shop in Schurz, Nevada, called Bad Jack’s Fireworks.

“You walk in the store, and it’s like a Walmart but all fireworks,” a Bay Area shopper who identified himself simply as Trevor told the Chronicle. “Probably 75% of the people in the store were from California.”

Bad Jack’s is not the only one. A Wadsworth, Nevada store with the misleading name Pyramid Lake Tribal Enterprises has lines stretching out the door. The Yelp photos from another Wadsworth store called I-80 Smoke Shop and Camping make it clear that cigarettes and camping gear are certainly not their primary line of business. And much like those other two shops, the Yelp reviews for Bad Jack’s are written almost entirely by California customers.  

We don’t know if big recent SF fireworks busts, like last week’s stolen U-Haul full of fireworks in the Bayview, are all explosives smuggled in from Nevada. Certainly some are probably from China. But it’s pretty difficult for law enforcement to stop the flow of a product that can simply be bought right across the state line in Nevada.  

Some officials seem resigned that this flow on Nevada fireworks cannot be stopped, and just urge people to be as careful as possible with the explosives. San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Phil Hallworth told the Chronicle that people should “just use some common sense. Keep a water hose handy, or a bucket. Never be afraid to call 911, if you see someone using illegal fireworks or if a fire does happen.”

Related: Police In San Francisco and San Jose Seize Large Hauls of Illegal Fireworks Ahead of July 4th Holiday [SFist]

Image: Katelyn L via Yelp

One person has been confirmed dead after Tuesday’s NorCal fireworks warehouse disaster, and now we have the identities of a few of those still missing, and it turns out the name of the fireworks company was Devastating Pyrotechnics.

The fireworks-related news is particularly disturbing this July 4 holiday weekend after Tuesday’s massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse in the Yolo County town of Esparto, 35 miles northwest of Sacramento. As of Thursday morning, the seven people reported missing after the blast are still missing. And you can get a sense of how terribly destructive this fire was in the live KCRA footage below, from the moment when a bad situation became a much, much worse situation.

And we are only beginning to get a sense of the tragic toll, as authorities confirmed one death on Wednesday. “At least one person was killed by the massive blast, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the situation,” the Chronicle reports, “though it was not clear if that person was among the seven [initially] reported missing.”

According to the latest reports, first responders are still unable to enter the site of the warehouse, as the scene is too dangerous. But KTVU has confirmed that the site is owned by a fireworks company that is ironically named Devastating Pyrotechnics.

Devasting Pyrotechnics is a legal and licensed business, with an active permit to both import and export fireworks. A screenshot of their website shows that they’ve clearly lawyered up at this point. The website simply contains a statement that “Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation."

But there may be recriminations to come for that company, or others. The Chronicle adds that the facility was also used by a firm called Blackstar Fireworks Inc. And while the site is licensed and permitted, the Chronicle says that the warehouse that exploded “was not part of [an] approved storage area.”

As far as the seven people missing, KTVU reports that three of them have been identified by friends or family members: brothers Jesus Ramos (18 years old) Johnny Ramos (22), and Joel Melendez (28). That appears to be the pregnant girlfriend of Jesus Ramos, Syanna Ruiz, demanding answers from local fire department officials in the video above.

Ruiz added that Tuesday had actually been Jesus Ramos’s first day on the job at the fireworks warehouse. "I'm only two months pregnant, but he was so excited," she told KTVU. "That was the main reason why he wanted to start working, was just for our family."

It seems a small concern in this potentially very tragic situation that several communities had to cancel their Independence Day fireworks displays, having lost the very explosives that were supposed to be lit off Friday night. A separate KTVU reprint notes that the displays have been canceled in the Devasting Pyrotechnics client cities of San Jose, Cloverdale, Chico, Lodi, Saint Helena, and the El Dorado County Fair.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Related: Fireworks Shows Getting Canceled in San Jose and Elsewhere After Yolo County Supplier Explosion, Due to Lost Supplies [SFist]

Image courtesy PG&E

The list is likely to mount of Bay Area cities whose annual July Fourth fireworks shows are being impacted by Tuesday's explosion at a commercial fireworks supplier in Yolo County.

Less than 24 hours after a disastrous explosion and fire at a fireworks supplier's warehouse facility in the Yolo County community of Esparto, we're learning that this was, in fact, the supplier for multiple cities' fireworks shows, and some of those shows are getting canceled.

San Jose has now canceled its fireworks show on July 4th at Lake Cunningham Park, saying that the Esparto supplier was the supplier for this show. An afternoon party planned Friday at Lake Cunningham Park will still be going forward, however.

While the city of San Jose has typically had three separate fireworks displays in different parts of town, another planned display at Almaden Lake Park was already canceled out of fire safety concerns, and fires that were sparked during last year's show.

As the Press Democrat reports, the city of Cloverdale has similarly canceled its fireworks show, also because of the supplier's disaster.

"It is with great sadness that we have to announce that our annual Chuck Sibert Pyro Spectacular planned for July Fourth must be canceled," Cloverdale Lions Club officials said in a statement. “Yesterday, a tragic event took place in Yolo County at the Esparto Firework Facility that ... destroyed the fireworks housed for many communities like ours."

Officials in Sutter and Yuba counties said they were also exploring alternatives to fireworks displays, because their supplies were also destroyed on Tuesday.

A canceled show is of course trivial in comparison to the loss of human life that occurred at the Yolo County facility, where as of Wednesday afternoon we know one person is confirmed dead and multiple others remain unaccounted for. As the Chronicle reports, two people were treated for injuries, and initially it was reported by CalFire that seven were missing.

We have not yet heard whether San Francisco's big planned show at Fisherman's Wharf was also sourcing its fireworks from the Yolo County facility.

This is a developing story.

A massive fire broke out at a fireworks warehouse in Yolo County, in the small town of Esparto on Tuesday evening, sparked by an explosion, just days ahead of July Fourth celebrations.

The first explosion occurred just before 6 pm Tuesday, at what appears to have been an above-board commercial fireworks storage facility, near County Road 23 and County Road 86A in Yolo County. As CBS Sacramento reports, the explosion led to multiple other explosions as caches of fireworks were ignited, and multiple buildings were engulfed. This also led to a brush fire in the area, and an evacuation order for an area south of Highway 16. The fire grew to 72 acres before it was contained.

Esparto is primarily a farming community about 35 miles northwest of Sacramento.

Update: As the Chronicle reports via Cal Fire officials, seven people are reported missing, though it's not clear if they were all on the property at the time where the explosion occurred.

The owner of the facility has not been identified.

"We do believe this location is owned by an active pyrotechnic license holder, and as part of our investigation, we will be working to determine that everything happening at the facility was within our license requirements" said California Deputy Fire Marshal Kara Garrett, in a statement to KXTV. "This type of incident is very rare, as facilities like this are required to not only follow our stringent California pyrotechnic requirements, but also federal explosive storage requirements."

Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire's State Fire Marshal, confirmed to KXTV that the facility was "involved in importing and exporting fireworks and commercial fireworks." And he added the explosions and conflagration were like nothing he'd ever seen in 20 years of firefighting.

Press Democrat photographer Kent Porter was on assignment in the Sacramento area and came upon the scene, capturing some dramatic images.

As CBS Sacramento reported, around 2,200 PG&E customers in the area were without power following the explosions and fire.

While the fire was mostly contained Tuesday night, the public was being advised to avoid the area.

"There is still an active evacuation zone in place around the property, and it will likely remain in effect throughout the night," the Yolo County Sheriff's Offfice said. They noted that residents at a nearby facility for migrant farm workers, the Madison Migrant Center, were allowed to return home.

"The fire will take time to cool, and once it does, explosive experts must safely enter the site to assess and secure the area," the sheriff's office added. "We strongly urge everyone to continue avoiding the area for the next several days so that fire crews, law enforcement, and emergency personnel can do their jobs safely and effectively."

The California’s State Fire Marshal Arson and Bomb Unit is leading the investigation into what happened, but the sheriff's office said that it was not currently "investigating anything criminal at this time."

Photo via danny.x3martinez/Instagram

An elaborate, 12-minute, professional fireworks spectacular that took many SF residents by surprise last Saturday night turns out to have been a private show for which advance notice wasn't given to the public.

Dog owners, especially, in and around North Beach and the northern part of the Embarcadero were pissed Saturday night that there was a disruptive — if visually stunning — fireworks display off Pier 27 that they didn't know would be coming. Skittish pups and grumpy elders — as well as some Telegraph Hill-dwelling coyotes — may have been unhappy, but many also found the display to be an unexpected delight.

ABC 7's JR Stone says he spent a couple days trying to figure out what happened, and it turns out this was a Port of SF-approved fireworks show that was part of a 50th anniversary party happening for a local company called Computers and Structures, Inc. (It's a Walnut Creek-based structural and earthquake engineering software company that was founded in 1975.)

Pat Dyas of Pyro Spectaculars put on the display for the company celebration, and tells ABC 7, "This display was commensurate in dollars to a large public display that would be seen perhaps on New Year's in San Francisco, except instead of being performed in 20 minutes, it was performed in just over 12 min."

The Port of SF tells ABC 7 that it is considering ways to be more transparent about when it approves such fireworks displays. But given that this was a private show, and the city didn't want people to be driving in or gathering on the Embarcadero to see it — which would have required city resources like police to deal with — they don't always want this information spread far and wide.

"I don't like the fact that a private individual can just have something that's so disruptive," said nearby resident Frank Taylor, speaking to ABC 7. "I mean, everybody here has a dog. I mean, I have a dog. My dog was freaking out."

Computers and Structures, Inc. (CSI) put out a statement about the display, saying that the party had been for 1,500 invited guests "to celebrate the structural engineering profession." The company's founder and CEO, Ashraf Habibullah said the party was not just for his company's 50th anniversary, but also "to recognize and thank all of the individuals who helped the company grow to what it is today."

"Structural engineers are the reason why buildings don't topple over in windstorms and bridges don't fall down during earthquakes," Habibullah said. "They are literally saving lives every time the wind blows or the earth shakes. Structural engineers are the true heroes of modern society. Structural engineering is a profession that not only makes life better for humanity on a daily basis but preserves and protects progress and prosperity for all of us today and for countless generations to come. It's a profession that deserves to be celebrated!"

Photo by Elisha Terada

This weekend: Some Bay to Breakers runners didn't get their medals at the finish line; Last week: A treasure hunt, a time capsule, a spider monkey, and two rattlesnakes; This week: a ton of free, live music and Chinatown Pride.  

Weekend Highlights

Here are some last-minute additions before we close out the weekend. Scroll ahead for last week's round-up, followed by things to do in the coming week.

• 415 Urban Adventures caught some stellar moments at the opening of the glorious Bay to Breakers race on Sunday morning. [@415UrbanAdventures]

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• Runners in Sunday’s race who finished after 11:40 a.m. were disappointed to discover that they’ll be receiving their race medals in the mail rather than when they crossed the finish line. [SFGate]
• Although the Golden State Valkyries were defeated by the Los Angeles Sparks at their opening night game on Friday night, they had a record-breaking attendance of 18,064 fans. [Yahoo Sports]
• SF has been enjoying a nightly fireworks show this weekend following the Giants-A’s series. [@alex_harmon]

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• Strong winds toppled a tree onto Muni lines near Oracle Park on Saturday, blocking 3rd Street and disrupting transit until crews cleared the scene that evening. [KRON4]

Week in Review

Wrapping up the week of May 12-18.

Some avid treasure hunters found a big bounty worth $10,000 just ten hours after the masterminds of the treasure hunt announced its launch, and Transamerica Pyramid opened a time capsule from 1974.  

Giants infielder Wilmer Flores led the team against the A’s 9-1 on Friday with three home runs, including a grand slam. Union Square was crawling with mascots during the Nintendo Store’s big opening, and Bay Area musician Ruby Ibarra won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.

A Georgia hiker survived three weeks in a blizzard thanks to a mindful Sierra resort owner who left a cabin unlocked. Ruth Asawa was the ultimate PTA mom, and Lisa Truong’s Help a Mother Out has delivered over 60 million diapers across California.

Baby raccoons were rescued from a wall at Chase Center, East Bay residents have been warned to stay on the lookout for rattlesnakes, and an endangered baby spider monkey and two live rattlesnakes were recovered from a Vallejo home along with half a pound of meth.

An allegedly negligent landlord in the Mission has been given the go-ahead to rebuild after a deadly 2015 fire, and a serial spitter is plaguing North Beach and Stockton Tunnel.

A Recology worker was killed at the Tunnel Avenue facility on Friday, and a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run in Bayview.

A rookie SFPD officer was arrested for DUI following a major crash on Sunset Boulevard, and two sheriff’s deputies received moderate injuries following a crash in the Mission. There was a homicide in Fisherman’s Wharf, and the suspect turned himself in right away. South San Francisco police shot a man who had a replica gun. The Ninth Circuit of Appeals ruled that Oakland police can be held liable for the 2022 death of a bystander following an unauthorized police chase.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin settled a lawsuit over the deaths of two pilots, and Google settled a $50 million workplace discrimination lawsuit.

JD Vance paid a visit to Silicon Valley, and several tech billionaires joined Trump at a luncheon in Saudi Arabia.

The Week Ahead

Things to do during the week of May 19-25.

Thursday:

• SF DJ Collective presents a free BYOBeats: Open Decks Night hosted by Kasama and Yo Yogurt. Bring your Rekordbox-ready USB, sign up when you arrive, and spin a 20-minute set. Thursday, May 22, 7 p.m.—Midnight // Monarch SF, 101 6th St // free, 21+

Friday:

• Get ready for an explosion of rhythm and joy at Salsa in the Square as DJ JuanLove and Pablo Dinámico bring their high-energy Cuban dance party to Union Square every fourth Friday from May to September 2025. Friday, May 23, 5 p.m. // Union Square Park, Geary and Powell // free, all ages

Saturday:

• Downtown SF recently launched its Redwood Park Concert Series with this week’s act, speakeasy jazz band Party Tricks, set against the majestic redwoods and the famed Transamerica building. Saturday, May 24, Noon—2p.m., // Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery St // free, all ages
• The first-ever Chinatown Pride 2025: Silent Disco Fundraiser will include a procession led by the legendary GAPA Royals and Rice Rockettes, culminating in a drag runway performance at Portsmouth Square pedestrian bridge. The event will also feature two live DJs, drinks, snacks, and music ranging from Asian oldies to EDM. The event supports LGBTQIA2S+ and immigrant communities through ticket sales and donations. Saturday, May 24, 7–10 p.m. // Dr. Rolland & Kathryn Lowe Community Bridge, 750 Kearny St // $20–100

Sunday:

• Apologies, we got our wires crossed. This event actually took place on Saturday. Soulful vocalist and daughter of the legendary Bobby McFerrin Madison McFerrin will take the stage at Yerba Buena Gardens with genre-bending band The Seshen opening with their signature blend of future soul, synth-heavy R&B, and experimental pop. Sunday, May 24, 2-4:30 p.m. // Great Lawn, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts // free, all ages

Image of Rice Rockettes who will be leading the procession at Chinatown Pride on Saturday via Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco

Previously: Last Week, This Week: Hunter Pence to Lead Guinness World Record Attempt