San Ramon Man Charged in 7 Fatal Explosions

A San Ramon man is accused of helping run an illegal fireworks operation in Esparto that exploded on July 1, 2025 and killed seven workers. (patch.com) Yolo County prosecutors say Kenneth Kin Chee, 48, faces seven counts of second-degree murder and conspiracy charges. Authorities say he owned Devastating Pyrotechnics, the company whose fireworks were allegedly stored at the site. (patch.com) Chee was arrested in Florida near Walt Disney World in early April and is being held without bail while California seeks his extradition. Five people in all were charged with murder, and eight defendants were named in the case. (nbcbayarea.com) Prosecutors say the blast happened at a warehouse near the farming town of Esparto, about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento. The explosion killed seven men, injured two others, and touched off the 78-acre Oakdale Fire. (ktvu.com) The case widened beyond one Bay Area defendant because prosecutors say the storage site was part of a larger illegal explosives operation. The grand jury indictment also names former Yolo County sheriff’s lieutenant Samuel Machado, Devastating Pyrotechnics operations manager Jack Y. Lee, federal license holder Gary Young Chan Jr., Blackstar Fireworks owner Craig Cutright, and others. (nbcbayarea.com) State fire officials had been signaling problems for months. In July 2025, the California State Fire Marshal said there were “red flags” about whether the site had any local permit to store fireworks, and the agency later suspended the pyrotechnic licenses of Chee and Cutright. (capradio.org) By February 2, 2026, Cal Fire said its investigation was complete and had uncovered evidence of alleged illegal activity. The agency sent its report to the Yolo County District Attorney after Cal-OSHA had already fined Devastating Pyrotechnics $221,000 for 15 violations at the facility. (cbsnews.com) A Yolo County civil grand jury added another layer on March 26, 2026. Its report said county officials, the sheriff’s office, and local fire agencies had missed or dropped warnings dating back to 2022 about fireworks businesses operating on agricultural land where fireworks and explosives were barred. (capradio.org) The seven men killed were identified by local authorities as Carolos Rodriguez Mora, 43, Neil Li, 41, Angel Voller, 18, Christopher Bocog, 45, Jesus Ramos, Jhony Ramos, 22, and Joel Melendez, 28. Investigators say they were working for Devastating Pyrotechnics when the warehouse exploded. (ktvu.com) The criminal case now turns on whether prosecutors can prove the defendants knew the operation was illegal and deadly risks were obvious before the blast. For Esparto, the story has shifted from a warehouse explosion to a yearlong record of warnings, inspections, fines and arrests. (nbcbayarea.com)