ESPARTO — Three brothers, two of them East Bay residents, were among seven people identified by authorities in Yolo County on Friday as victims of an explosion at a warehouse storing fireworks.
The explosion July 1 happened just after 6 p.m. near County Road 23 and County Road 86A in the small, rural town about 37 miles west of Sacramento. Video footage captured the explosion, which also caused a wildfire that burned about 80 acres.
Related Articles
Elias: Bay Area’s Garamendi saying insurance czar ‘should go’ unheard of
Bay Area Air District issues advisory for wildfire smoke
Cal Fire rolled out an AI chatbot. Don’t ask it about evacuation orders
13-year-old suspected of setting off fireworks that sparked California wildfire
Garamendi: Insurance companies should sue Big Oil for climate change damage
Among those identified by the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office were 22-year-old Jhony Ernesto Ramos, and 18-year-old Jesus Manaces Ramos, both of San Pablo. The third brother, Junior Melendez, 28, of Sacramento, also was identified. Syanna Ruiz told Associated Press Jesus Ramos was her boyfriend and working his first day at the warehouse when the explosion occurred. She added that Jhony Ramos and Melendez were Jesus Ramos’ brothers.
Authorities confirmed that account Friday.
The four others identified by authorities Friday were Angel Voller, 18, of Sacramento; Carlos Javier Rodriguez-Mora, 43, of San Andreas; Neil Li, 41, of San Francisco; and Christopher Bocog, 45, of San Francisco.
Authorities said the autopsies for all seven victims were completed Thursday, and that the official cause of death for each is pending toxicology results.
The Sacramento Bee reported that law enforcement officers raided a San Francisco home Tuesday associated with Devastating Pyrotechnics, the fireworks company linked to the deadly explosion. The Office of the State Fire Marshal is leading the investigation into the blast.
The Bee reported the address of the warehouse is registered to Jack Lee, the person in charge of storage and security for the company. Public records list Kenneth Chee as the owner and CEO of Devastating Pyrotechnics.
“Investigators are actively tracking down numerous leads and have served multiple search warrants as part of the investigation process,” Deputy State Fire Marshal Kara Garrett said in a statement reported by the Bee. “While we are unable to provide additional details at this time, please know that we are committed to conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation.”
