San Ramon Man Charged in 7 Fatal Explosions

A San Ramon man has been charged with seven counts of murder after a fireworks warehouse explosion in Esparto killed seven workers last July. (patch.com) Kenneth Kin Chee, 48, was arrested at Walt Disney World in Florida last week, according to Patch and KCRA, and is being held there without bail. Prosecutors say Chee owned Devastating Pyrotechnics, the company tied to the site that exploded on July 1, 2025. (patch.com) Yolo County prosecutors have indicted eight people in the case, and five of them face second-degree murder charges. The other defendants include former Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant Samuel Machado, Gary Young Chan Jr., Jack Y. Lee, Douglas Tollefsen, Craig Cutright, Tammy Machado and Ronald Botelho III. (abc10.com) The explosion hit a rural property near Esparto on the evening of July 1, 2025, killing seven employees of Devastating Pyrotechnics, injuring two others and igniting the 78-acre Oakdale Fire. CapRadio reported the dead ranged in age from 18 to 45. (capradio.org) Cal Fire said Devastating Pyrotechnics was never authorized to store fireworks at that site. The agency said its seven-month investigation found evidence of illegal activity in fireworks storage and handling and sent its report to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. (abc10.com) In court last week, prosecutors said more than 1 million pounds of illegal explosives were stored on Machado’s property and alleged the operation had evaded scrutiny for more than a decade. They said Machado had explosives delivered to his front door and warned operators when inspections were coming. (capradio.org) Machado has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers argued he was more of a landlord than an active operator, according to CapRadio. Judge Daniel Maguire denied Machado’s request for bail, and ABC10 reported the five defendants charged with murder remained jailed after families of the victims asked the court to keep them there. (capradio.org) (abc10.com) The criminal case landed two weeks after a Yolo County civil grand jury issued a report titled “Esparto Fireworks Explosion: Officials Knew, None Acted.” The county’s grand jury page lists the report, and CapRadio said it found systemic inaction by county employees who knew about the pyrotechnics operation over several years. (yolocounty.gov) (capradio.org) The coroner ruled in August 2025 that all seven victims died immediately from multiple blast and thermal injuries, and classified the deaths as accidental. The criminal charges now turn that workplace disaster into a murder prosecution that is still moving through Yolo County Superior Court. (cbsnews.com)