San Ramon Man Charged in Deadly Explosion

A San Ramon man is now charged with seven murders in the fireworks warehouse explosion that killed seven workers in Esparto last summer. (patch.com) Kenneth Kin Chee, 48, was arrested in Bay Lake, Florida, near Walt Disney World, according to jail records and local reporting. Prosecutors say Chee owned Devastating Pyrotechnics, one of two companies operating from the Yolo County site that exploded on July 1, 2025. (abc10.com) A Yolo County grand jury indictment unsealed on April 10 named five men facing seven murder counts each: Samuel Machado, Kenneth Chee, Gary Chan Jr., Jack Lee and Douglar Tollefesen. Ronald Botelho III and Craig Cutright were also charged in the broader conspiracy case, and Tammy Machado was charged separately with offenses including mortgage fraud, child endangerment and animal cruelty. (cbsnews.com) The explosion happened at a rural property near County Roads 86 and 23 in Esparto and killed seven employees between ages 18 and 45. Investigators said the blast also injured two people and sparked the 78-acre Oakdale Fire. (capradio.org) The criminal case reaches beyond one blast site because prosecutors say the property had become a long-running illegal explosives hub. Deputy District Attorney Clara Nabity said the indictment alleges the operation expanded from 13 storage containers in 2015 to more than 50 in 2025, plus a 5,000-square-foot warehouse. (cbsnews.com) Prosecutors also say more than 11 million pounds of explosives were imported to the property over about a decade, with roughly 1 million pounds there when the explosion happened. They say none of the storage containers were licensed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and no license allows explosives storage near homes and public roads. (cbsnews.com) The case widened after watchdog reports found local officials had warning signs before the blast. A Yolo County Civil Grand Jury report released March 26 said county staff got a tip in June 2022 that two pyrotechnics businesses were operating on the site, but enforcement efforts stopped within days. (capradio.org) That report said Yolo County ordinances had banned fireworks businesses countywide since 2001, and the land itself was zoned for agriculture, not fireworks or explosives storage. The grand jury said county supervisors, the sheriff’s office, local fire departments and other agencies all missed chances to intervene. (capradio.org) A separate Cal Fire task force report released the next day recommended 37 changes to state oversight, including tighter licensing checks and annual joint inspections of storage sites. Cal Fire said both Devastating Pyrotechnics and Blackstar Fireworks had state licenses before the blast, but those licenses were suspended and later revoked. (capradio.org) The seven workers who died were later identified by the Yolo County Coroner, which ruled all of the deaths accidental and immediate from multiple blast and thermal injuries. The murder charges mean prosecutors are treating the alleged conduct behind those deaths, not the coroner’s medical ruling, as the basis for the homicide case now moving through Yolo County court. (fox40.com)