Human remains discovered inside California fireworks facility after devastating explosion
Yolo County officials released a statement on Friday revealing that investigators had located the remains following the blaze at the fireworks warehouse.
The explosion, which occurred at a facility operated by Devastating Pyrotechnics, has led to a widespread investigation, with seven individuals still missing.
The blast not only caused significant destruction to the warehouse, but also sparked a massive fire that spread rapidly, triggering several spot fires throughout the region.
In the aftermath of the explosion, nearby Fourth of July festivities were called off, and the rural community was left in shock.
Yolo County's Coroner's Division was granted access to the site on Friday, and officials confirmed they are in contact with the families of the missing, The Associated Press reported.
While no positive identifications of the remains have been made at this time, recovery efforts are still ongoing.
'We are working diligently to identify those involved and offer support to their families during this tragic time,' Yolo County spokeswoman, Jessica Williams, said.
In addition to the missing persons, two individuals have been treated for injuries, though their conditions remain unclear.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, and authorities are working with federal agencies to determine what led to the catastrophic incident.
The warehouse is known for producing large-scale fireworks displays for major events in the Bay Area. The company, which has been in business for over 30 years, stated in a brief statement that it would fully cooperate with the investigation.
Before its website was taken down, it was noted that Devastating Pyrotechnics focuses mainly on display fireworks for large productions, rather than retail products.
Meanwhile, further south in Los Angeles, fireworks-related incidents continued to cause havoc. On Thursday night, a 'fireworks-related blaze' erupted in a neighborhood, destroying four homes.
Authorities confirmed one man was found dead at the scene, while a woman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Four other individuals were treated for smoke inhalation on-site, and several animals were reported injured in the fire.
Firefighters battled the blaze through the night, with fireworks still erupting in the area when they arrived.
The Los Angeles Fire Department managed to bring the situation under control, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
'We are continuing to assess the damage and work to determine the cause of this tragic event,' Las Angeles spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz said.
As investigations continue in both Northern and Southern California, local residents are grappling with the aftermath of these fireworks-related tragedies.
One woman, Syanna Ruiz said her boyfriend - an expectant father - went missing during his first day working at the sprawling fireworks factory.
Her boyfriend, Jesus Ramos, 18, was one of the seven people unaccounted for after the chilling explosion.
Ruiz is one of those loved ones waiting in fear. She told local ABC affiliate, KSBW-TV, that she has a 'baby on the way' with Ramos.
'We have a baby on the way and I can't even risk things like that right now,' she told the outlet in tears.
'He had so much coming for him and they were saying that there was a warning beforehand but somebody is behind this. There's no way that this just happened.'
She added that the explosion happened on her boyfriend's first day and that he was excited to start a new chapter.
Ruiz was in attendance for a press conference, where she pressed officials on why the families impacted haven't received more information.
'We were here since yesterday and are yet to receive any information, have yet to see any efforts and yet to see anybody go, to try to find anybody at all who was stuck in the warehouse, who have tried to escape or is possibly stuck under the debris of the warehouse,' Ruiz told officials.
Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence said authorities were doing the best they could with the information they had and apologized that the updates may not be what families want to hear.
'But you guys are supposed to protect us from danger, you guys are supposed to deal with the danger,' Ruiz hit back.
Ruiz spoke with local news about her frustration with the lack of communication between first responders and the impacted families
She told local ABC affiliate, KXTV, that Ramos joined the factory with his three brothers, who were also reported missing.
'They were all three incredible men who had so much coming for them. And I'm just praying to God that some way, somehow that they're okay,' she said.
Victims' services were set up for the families of the seven people who were reported missing.
Authorities haven't confirmed the identities of those who remain unaccounted for or whether they were employed with the pyrotechnics facility.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
My wife and five children were killed as they slept in my home 13 years ago. Police still don't have suspect
A father whose wife and five children died in an arson attack has revealed his heartbreak at police still not finding a suspect 13 years on. Dr Abdul Shakoor, who is originally from Pakistan, was the only survivor when a fire ripped through his family home in Harlow, Essex, in October 15, 2012. His wife Sabah Usmani, 44, and sons Sohaib, 11, and Rayyan, six, and daughter Hira, 13, were all killed in the blaze. Third son, Muneeb, nine, and daughter Maheen, three, also later died in hospital. Dr Shakoor discovered the fire at his home and battled hard to save his family, suffering the effects of the dense smoke and also minor burns as he tried to get them out. He jumped out a top floor window and landed on a car parked below, before trying to re-enter the house with a neighbour. Evidence suggested it was caused by 'malicious ignition' - with detectives confirming they were aware of a burglary at the house on the same day. However, 13 years on a BBC podcast Who Killed the Shakoors? raises new questions about how forensic evidence was gathered as the murder investigation is still ongoing. Investigators who was brought in to examine the scene claimed samples weren't packaged properly, the front door taken from the house and thrown in a skip, and the car that was found on fire nearby, seemingly was not fully examined until weeks later. Fire investigator David Hajakostas was brought in to examine the scene, to determine how the fire started and whether it was arson. 'The fire, I believe, started on the left-hand side of the lounge, towards the rear of the lounge near the patio doors where there was a large sofa. 'The fire spread towards the patio doors and that happened when the patio doors failed because the air flowed through the building and would have then drawn the flames towards the curtains. 'The curtains sent the fire to the other side of the room where there was more soft furnishings. You then create the perfect storm of plenty of fuel, plenty of heat, plenty of oxygen. Then you have what we call a fully developed fire.' However David spotted serious problems with how the investigation was being handled. 'There was an outer and inner cordon in when I arrived, there were people inside the outer cordon who shouldn't have been there.' As the fire investigator, David's job was to preserve and collect evidence to determine how and where the fire started. 'Anyone entering the cordons risks compromising that,' he warned. He also questioned how a key piece of evidence was tested, calling it 'odd'. 'One police line of inquiry was that this was an opportunistic burglary,' he explained. 'I saw the scientific advisor test the inside of the lock and say it worked, but he never tested it from the outside, which is what really mattered. It struck me as odd. 'He was adamant the door was lockable, but only tested 50 percent of the lock. 'If Dr. Shakoor had went to bed as he said and he'd locked the door then what we're looking for is signs of a break-in. 'The door was removed from the frame and put in the skip before I had a chance to examine it. 'We had some very good testimony from the occupant of the house and the next door neighbour about the fact that the front door was open. I had nothing to test that against physically because the door had been placed elsewhere.' Meanwhile Ian Peck, from Prometheus Forensic Services, who was also brought in to review the scene raised concerns about how evidence was being preserved. A section of laminate flooring was collected from inside the house, potentially crucial evidence in determining whether an accelerant was used to start the fire. However, Peck criticised the way it was packaged, saying it was 'wrapped at both ends with nylon bags' and 'sealed with tape', calling it 'unfit for purpose' and comparing it to a 'Christmas cracker.' 'If it had come to me for analysis,' he added, 'I probably would've rejected it.' Investigators who was brought in to examine the scene claimed samples weren't packaged properly, the front door taken from the house and thrown in a skip, and the car that was found on fire nearby, seemingly was not fully examined until weeks later Fire investigation officer David Hadgekostas didn't hold back in his assessment of the scene management saying he had 'a few disappointments.' 'The biggest was the capability of the scientific advisor sent to the scene. In my experience, he didn't seem confident or prepared, certainly not to the standard I was used to. 'Looking back, I wish I'd been more vocal about how disappointed I was at the time.' Essex Police told the BBC podcast that 'heat damage significantly compromised forensics. Items were examined on scene before being moved and no accelerants were detected.' Dr Shakoor, who revealed he still misses his family 'so much', said he was 'shocked' to hear the concerns over the police investigation, saying he thought they were 'one of the best in the world.' Speaking on the podcast, he said: 'I'm really shocked because I never thought they wouldn't have done it properly. We have put our own trust in them. But when you hear these sort of things, really, it gives a very shocking feeling of dismay.' 'When we came to England, we thought it is the most safest country. We felt really safe and then that thing happened. 'But when we hear something like that, so it really brings some waves of shock, feeling of helpless, you know. We are waiting for a long time, it has an impact on not only myself, but as a community.' Police at first suspected arson, but 11 days after the fire, a laptop bag containing photos belonging to the Shakoor family was found dumped at a nearby estate. Officers then launched a murder investigation, believing someone had burgled the family home and stolen the laptop before setting the house on fire. Detectives continue to pursue a number of lines of enquiry, the family laptop, a black Toshiba Satellite, has never been located. The laptop had a two-pin lead because it was from Saudi Arabia, while its bag and lead were later recovered nearby. Inside were passport photos, a charger, an aftershave, belonging to Dr Shakoor. In November 2012, a person rang Harlow police station from a phone box and left a message about the fire, but detectives have not identified the person who got in touch. The same month, a piece of paper about the murder investigation was left on a shelf in Boots in Harlow, with detectives keen to speak to the person who placed it there. At the same time as fire crews were tackling the house blaze, a silver Ford Focus car was set alight in a parking area nearby. A white man aged in his late teens/early 20s on a bicycle 'acting strange' was seen in the area when the house and car were set alight. This person's name was never released but he was one of seven arrests made in the months after the fire. Bizarrely, 160 little fragments of glass were found on this person's clothing. One fragment of glass matched the car that was set alight, but it wasn't enough to charge him with any crime. Dave Skaysbrook, a retired forensic scientist, told the BBC podcast: 'The clothing taken from the apparent suspect does have quite a lot of glass on it, more than I would expect from the normal population, indicating that either he's a glazier, well, works in the building trade somewhere, or of course is a career criminal.' Not long after the Shakoor house fire a local mosque has also been set on fire, which led police question if this could of been a hate crime on the family. For years, Harlow had dealt a neo-Nazi group called Combat 18 which was set up by Paul Charlie Sargent in the 90s, with meetings held in the town. At the time there had been reports of mosques being targeted and windows smashed. Dr Shakoor revealed his relatives were deeply concerned about his safety after his family were killed in the fire. He told the podcast: 'After the incident I think my brother told me I have to be very careful now because now we don't know if we you lost everyone now. We don't want to lose you. 'Obviously, there's a fear when something happened. All families, so they thought, they don't know at that time what happened. 'You may be the target. You have to look after yourself. Don't go alone. Don't go there alone. Take care of yourself.' Dr Shakoor has continually appealed for witnesses since the incident, with detectives leading the investigation saying there are 'facts in the case that don't add up'. He discovered the fire at his home in Barn Mead, Harlow, at 1.40am and battled hard to save his family. He bravely jumped out the window and landed on a car parked below, before trying to re-enter the house with a neighbour. Dr Shakoor fought his way through the flames and managed to climb the stairs, but it proved to be too late. All six victims died of asphyxiation through smoke inhalation. His wife Sabah died at the scene with their daughter Hira and sons Muneeb and Rayyan. Sohaib, 11, died at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow where Dr Shakoor worked. The fifth and youngest child, Maheen, who would have celebrated her fourth birthday nine days after the fire, never regained consciousness. Her father had to make the painful decision to turn off her life support machine. Visiting their grave site, Dr Shakoor told the podcast: 'I'm missing them too much. So really I just come here. And obviously, when I'm here, I feel solace and comfort being with them. 'And really it gives me, I can say, that they are here with me.' The fire remains listed as a cold and unsolved case on the Essex Police website. In a 2022 statement, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: 'The deaths of Sabah Usmani and her five children is an absolute tragedy and our thoughts continue to be with her husband Dr Abdul Shakoor. 'The pain he has experienced in losing his entire family is unimaginable. His grief is compounded by the fact that no-one has been brought to justice for what happened. 'Our investigation into that tragic night has been an extensive one. More than 70 police officers and staff have worked on the investigation into the fire, around 500 people have given witness statements, and 1,800 exhibits were collected and stored. 'No case is ever closed and this investigation has been regularly reviewed to see if it is possible to identify new lines of enquiry. I need anyone who has any information about that night to contact us. 'Loyalties do change and people who felt they previously could not come forward to us, may now feel they are able to.' Speaking at Harlow Islamic Centre in 2022, where a remembrance service was held to mark the anniversary of the fatal fire, Dr Shakoor said it was 'absolutely important' to mark the deaths with the local community, the BBC reports. He added: 'It's really difficult, I cannot forget the time in the night when it happened.' Dr Shakoor described his wife as 'my best friend' and told of how his children 'really loved living here, we had a very good community'.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Reform UK MP James McMurdock resigns whip pending outcome of investigation
The Reform UK MP James McMurdock has 'removed the party whip from himself pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that are likely to be published by a national newspaper', the party's chief whip, Lee Anderson, has said in a statement.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Family 'devastated' by death of man after Paisley street incident
The family of a man who died after he was found seriously injured on a Paisley street said they had been left "devastated" by his Lee, 39, was discovered on Greenock Road, in the Renfrewshire town, at about 02:35 on was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where he died a short time later.A 40-year-old man has been charged in connection with the death and appeared before Paisley Sheriff Court on Friday. In a statement, released through Police Scotland, Mr Lee's relatives said: "The family are devastated, we all adored Richard. He will be very much missed."Det Insp Gordon Smith said: "Our thoughts remain with Richard's family and friends."We are continuing to offer support and are keeping them updated with the progress of our investigation."He added additional officers would remain in the area and urged anyone with information to get in touch.
