Etta James Farming has filed a lawsuit after the Esparto warehouse explosion on July 1, which killed seven people. The lawsuit names Kenneth Chee, Craig Cutright, and Yolo County Sheriff's Lt. Sam Machado. Etta James Farming is seeking damages for damage to 74 acres of crops and farm equipment. The lawsuit also claims that Lt. Machado may have allowed illegal fireworks activity on his property and received financial gain from it, according to ABC10.
Last week, roadblocks were removed in Esparto after the explosion. The Yolo County Board of Supervisors asked the California Attorney General to lead the investigation. Earlier, the State Fire Marshal temporarily suspended the fireworks licenses of Chee and Cutright, as reported by KCRA. Devastating Pyrotechnics Inc., Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC, and Blackstar Fireworks, along with their owners, are under investigation and named in a civil lawsuit related to the incident.
State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said, “When safety protocols are followed, explosions like this simply don’t happen,” after the fireworks warehouse explosion in Esparto, as mentioned by KCRA. He said pyrotechnics must be stored with proper distance between containers and nearby structures. Officials are investigating and will decide within 30 days if the involved licenses should be permanently revoked. The attorney for Devastating Pyrotechnics said they have not seen the lawsuit yet and could not comment.
