7 arrested, some charged with murder, in deadly Yolo County fireworks warehouse explosion

YOLO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — Seven people have been arrested in connection with the July 2025 deadly fireworks warehouse explosion in Yolo County, and some of them are facing murder charges.

The explosion at the Esparto warehouse killed seven people on July 1, 2025. Four of those victims were from the Bay Area.

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Yolo County’s district attorney is set to give more information at a press conference at 11 a.m. on Friday.

Two of the people arrested own the property and are Yolo County Sheriff’s Department employees.

The owners of two fireworks companies that operated at the site, San Francisco-based Devastating Pyrotechnics and Blackstar Fireworks, have also been arrested.

The owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics was arrested in Florida near Disney World, and is making his first court appearance Friday morning. His attorney tells ABC7 Eyewitness News his client is innocent.

It appears a loophole in California’s law allowed him to obtain explosives permits. Records show he had licenses for explosives, even though he had a felony conviction that barred him from receiving federal licenses from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. California law only prohibits this if the felony conviction involves explosives, fireworks or arson.

Following the explosion, Cal Fire revoked pyrotechnic licenses from the two companies and their owners.

A local farmer had also sued the property owners and the firework company owners, alleging negligence and recklessness, seeking damages for crop loss.

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The victims have been identified as: