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State revokes licenses of 2 men after deadly fireworks explosion
Two men and their companies had their state licenses revoked by CAL FIRE in the wake of a fireworks explosion in Yolo County that killed seven people.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Office of the State Fire Marshal revoked the licenses of Devastating Pyrotechnics Inc. following a July 1 fireworks explosion that killed seven people in a warehouse in Yolo County, the office announced on Friday.
State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant had already suspended the licenses of Kenneth Chee of Devastating Pyrotechnics Inc. and Craig Cutright of Blackstar Fireworks, in mid-July.
In a statement on Friday, Berlant said he felt there was enough evidence to show that both had violated California’s firework laws and regulations.
For example, Berlant said the two hadn't properly filed some paperwork, didn't report lost fireworks, owned fireworks without the proper local fire permit and other "allegations that remain part of the criminal investigation," Berlant said.
Efforts to speak to Chee and Cutright, or their attorneys, weren't immediately successful on Friday.
Seven people died while working in the warehouse in Esparto that day, when the fireworks inside the building exploded and caused a nearly 80-acre fire.
(From L-R) Jesus Ramos, 28; John Ramos22; and Joel Jr. Melendez, 28, all worked for Devastating Pyrotechnics in Esparto, Yolo County, when an explosion hit the fireworks storage warehouse they were working in on July 1, 2025.
Those killed were:
Neil Justin Li, 41, of San Francisco; Christopher Goltiao Bocog, 45, of San Francisco; Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, of San Pablo, and Jhony Ernesto Ramos, 22, of San Pablo. Also killed were Angel Mathew Voller, 18, of Stockton; Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas, and Joel Jeremias Melendez, 28, of Sacramento.
In addition to the deaths and property damage, the explosion also forced several communities -- including San Jose, Cloverdale and St. Helena -- to cancel their July Fourth fireworks shows since their pyrotechnic supplies were stored in the Yolo County warehouse that went up in flames.
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