California fire officials have revoked the pyrotechnic licenses of two company owners connected to the deadly July 1 explosion at a fireworks storage facility in the Yolo County town of Esparto.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal, part of Cal Fire, said today that Kenneth Chee, CEO and owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics and Craig Cutright, owner of Blackstar Fireworks “had violated California’s firework laws and regulations.”
These include not filing proper importation documents with state officials, not reporting lost fireworks, and possessing fireworks without a local fire permit. Officials also noted, “numerous additional allegations that remain part of the criminal investigation still underway.”
Both companies operated out of the Esparto facility. Devastating Pyrotechnics previously advertised on its website it had more than three decades of experience in designing and producing fireworks shows in the Bay Area.
The company focused mainly on display fireworks for big productions, and supplied pyrotechnics for some shows in Northern California. A July 2 joint statement from Marysville, Yuba City, Sutter County and Yuba County called Devastating Pyrotechnics a “trusted partner and a cherished part of our regional fireworks celebrations,” and said fireworks intended for the region’s July 4 show had been destroyed in the explosion.
Cal Fire is leading the investigation into the incident. In a statement, State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said his investigators, “have been laser focused on not only determining the circumstances leading up to the incident, but also whether or not the operators were working with their state issued licenses.”
“While this concludes our administrative license investigation, we continue to make progress in the post blast investigation,” Berlant said.
Cal Fire originally suspended Chee and Cutright’s licenses July 15, two weeks after detonations rocked Esparto. Seven workers were killed in the blast, which also started the 78-acre Oakdale Fire.
Berlant told Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez at the time the move was “standard procedure” during a large investigation, especially after noticing red flags.
“We then have 30 days [by law] to pull together enough evidence, and to begin the administrative process to potentially revoke a license at the time,” he said.
Chee had previously been denied a license from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives following a criminal conviction in the 1990s. Federal regulations prohibit people convicted of a crime punishable by a year or more in prison from receiving or possessing explosive materials, or being issued a federal explosives license or permit.
Cutright is a volunteer member of the Esparto Fire Protection District, and was placed on leave after the explosion.
Cutright, Chee and Sam Machado, a lieutenant in the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office who owned the property where the facility was located, are also named in a civil lawsuit filed by Etta James Farming. The company is seeking compensation for losses and damages suffered during the incident.
A June 6, 2024 aerial image of the Esparto fireworks storage facility that exploded July 1.Google Earth
New fireworks safety task force formed
The license revocations also come just over a week after the Office of the State Fire Marshal announced the launch of a new task force aimed at reviewing and strengthening fireworks safety measures.
Berlant said the group will include representatives from associations of fire chiefs, fire marshals, police chiefs and other public safety organizations. The task force will review California’s existing enforcement efforts and regulations for fireworks use, storage and permitting, and make recommendations for changes.
“We want to do a deep dive, in-depth review of all of our regulatory requirements connected to fireworks,” Berlant told CapRadio last week.
Berlant said one major issue will be how state-issued fireworks licenses are tracked after being issued. State law requires pyrotechnic companies to obtain a license from Cal Fire and a local permit from the jurisdiction where they operate, but state officials currently have no way to confirm whether that local permit was issued.
The task force is expected to meet in the coming months and start providing recommendations by the end of the year. It will also work in conjunction with Cal Fire’s existing General Fireworks Advisory Committee, which includes industry representatives and fireworks users.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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