"Samuel Machado, a former lieutenant with the Yolo County sheriff's office, faces 26 charges, including murder, possession of explosives illegally, and reckless possession of an explosive device. Prosecutors allege that he allowed more than 1 million pounds of illegal fireworks to be stored in the warehouse."
"The explosion at the 5,000-sq-ft warehouse sparked a massive fire near the small town of Esparto, resulting in the deaths of seven employees of Devastating Pyrotechnics, identified by authorities and family members."
"Machado's role included using his position in the sheriff's department to avoid accountability for the illegal fireworks operation, which expanded significantly from 13 firework storage containers in 2015 to 50 in 2025."
A fireworks-warehouse explosion in California on July 1 killed seven employees of Devastating Pyrotechnics and injured two others. The explosion led to the cancellation of local Fourth of July celebrations. Authorities have charged at least seven individuals for their involvement in the unlawful storage and handling of fireworks. Samuel Machado, a former lieutenant with the Yolo County sheriff's office, faces 26 charges, including murder and illegal possession of explosives, for allowing over one million pounds of illegal fireworks to be stored at the warehouse.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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