Esparto explosions: Devastating Pyrotechnics owner in Yolo County after arrest at Disney World
By Jonathan Ayestas, Daniel Macht
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WOODLAND, California (KCRA) — Kenneth Chee, one of the men at the center of the deadly Esparto fireworks explosions investigation, is now in custody in Yolo County.
He is one of eight people charged in connection with the 2025 tragedy that killed seven people when a facility officials say was storing about 1 million pounds of illegal explosives ignited.
Law enforcement in Florida arrested Chee, 48, earlier this month while he was at Disney World. He made his first court appearance in an Orange County courtroom, where he was told he would be extradited back to California.
Jail records show he is currently in custody at the Monroe Detention Center in Woodland. He is due in court Thursday.
Chee is the owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, one of the two fireworks companies that operated at the facility.
Of the eight arrested, Chee is one of five people facing second-degree murder charges.
Chee is also accused of conspiracy to possess explosives, make explosives and transport explosives.
Other charges included three counts of insurance fraud and more counts for explosives possession, possession of a destructive device, possession of explosives near private habitations and public roadways, unlawfully causing a fire, and managing a dangerous workplace.
In a motion to deny bail filed in court on April 13, prosecutors argued that Chee had been “indifferent” to the dangers of the fireworks he imported and his “callous disregard for life” continued after the Esparto explosions with efforts to rebuild his business.
According to the document, Chee implemented no safety measures after a three-story building linked to Devastating Pyrotechnics that was storing illegal, overcharged explosives exploded on June 14, 2023.
The document also says that on Dec. 31, 2024, an 18-year-old was decapitated after lighting one of Chee’s “Northern Beast”-branded explosives. The document notes that the defendants continued to import and sell Northern Beast.
Later, when half a million pounds of illegal fireworks were seized in Commerce, California, in May 2025, Chee “repeatedly sought to bring those devices to Esparto.”
The document alleges that since the July 1, 2025, Esparto explosions, Chee has remained focused on efforts to “restart and rebuild his illegal enterprise” with co-defendants in Nevada, citing emails and phone records. He has tried to recruit new workers, according to the documents.
“Chee’s criminal network is large, and many individuals engaged in illegal explosives trafficking have not been charged with crimes,” the document says.
The document also alleges his public activities “demonstrate his brazen disdain for victims and the law.”
It says he tried to participate in a pyrotechnics show at the 2026 Chinese New Year celebration in San Francisco despite not having a pyrotechnics license, and socialized there in non-public areas of the event.
In making the case against bail, the document alleges that Chee has a “broad network” in the Bay Area, California, China and Malaysia where many contacts in the illegal explosives business continue to work.
The other fireworks company that operated at the site was Blackstar Fireworks, owned by 61-year-old Craig Cutright. This week, a judge approved his $500,000 bail with strict conditions.
Those conditions are:
Defendant must surrender passport to the District Attorney’s Office. Defendant is searchable. Defendant’s electronic devices are also searchable. Defendant must not associate with co-defendants except by and through counsel. Defendant must not contact (directly or indirectly) with family members of victims. Defendant will be placed on electronic monitoring — at defendant’s expense — for a period of 60 days. Defendant may not leave California without express permission of the Court. Defendant may not engage in any sort of explosives/fireworks business. Defendant may not possess any explosives, fireworks, or the precursors to these devices
Four people are due back in court Wednesday. They are Cutright, Douglas Tollefsen and Jack Lee. None of them has entered pleas yet for the charges they are facing.
Sam Machado, who was a Yolo County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant at the time of the explosions, will also appear in court for a trial setting conference. He owned the property where the fireworks companies operated.
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