What we know about Devastating Pyrotechnics, company at center of Esparto fireworks facility explosions
HAD SAID. ALL RIGHT, MICHELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. WELL, DEVASTATING PYROTECHNICS. THAT IS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT IS LINKED TO THAT WAREHOUSE THERE IN ESPARTA. SO IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPLYING PROFESSIONAL FIREWORKS FOR SEVERAL BIG 4TH OF JULY SHOWS IN OUR AREA AND IN THE BAY AREA. KCRA THREE INVESTIGATES LYSEE MITRI HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO THE COMPANY. WHAT WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND OUT? EDIE THE FIRST THING WE NOTICED IS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON, THE COMPANY ACTUALLY STARTED TAKING DOWN ALL THE INFORMATION OFF OF ITS WEBSITE. LAST TIME WE LOOKED, IT LOOKED SOMETHING LIKE THIS. IT WAS PRETTY EMPTY. NOW WE’RE HEARING THEY MAY HAVE UPDATED IT WITH A STATEMENT. WE’LL UPDATE YOU ON THAT AS SOON AS WE CAN. BUT EARLIER THIS MORNING THIS WAS THE ABOUT US SECTION. IT SHOWED DEVASTATING PYROTECHNICS. HAS HEADQUARTERS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND IN ESPARTA. KCRA THREE INVESTIGATES OBTAINED SECRETARY OF STATE RECORDS ON THE COMPANY THAT DATE BACK TO 2013. AND WE ALSO FOUND ANOTHER COMPANY WITH STATE RECORDS DATING BACK TO 2023, LISTING THAT SAME ESPARTA ADDRESS. THAT’S CALLED BLACKSTAR FIREWORKS, AND IT’S LINKED TO A MAN NAMED CRAIG CUTRIGHT. HE APPEARS TO HAVE CONNECTIONS TO DEVASTATING PYROTECHNICS AND TO THE ESPARTA FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT. IN FACT, THE FIRE CHIEF DID CONFIRM FOR US TODAY. CARTWRIGHT IS AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER WITH THAT DEPARTMENT. OFFICIALS DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANY RECENT INSPECTIONS AT THE SITE OR IF PROPER PROTOCOLS WERE FOLLOWED. BUT FOR MORE ON BEST PRACTICES IN GENERAL IN THIS INDUSTRY, WE SPOKE ON ZOOM TO EXPERT LEE FRECHETTE, WHO EXPLAINED HOW HEAVILY REGULATED IT IS. ALL OF THE PROCEDURES, ALL OF THE REGULATION IS DESIGNED ASSUMING THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO GO WRONG, AND SO THAT WHEN IT DOES GO WRONG, THE PUBLIC IS PROTECTED, EMPLOYEES ARE PROTECTED. OUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS PUBLIC. AND THEN FOLLOWED BY THE EMPLOYEES WORKING WITH THE MATERIAL ITSELF. IF ALL THE PROPER PROCEDURES ARE FOLLOWED, THE INDUSTRY IS AMAZINGLY SAFE. I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 40 YEARS. I’VE GOT ALL MY DIGITS. I CAN STILL SEE. I CAN STILL HEAR, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT’S A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING YOUR DILIGENCE AS YOU’RE WORKING WITH THE MATERIAL. SO THAT’S WHY THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS. AND IN THIS CASE, WE DO KNOW THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S WEBSITE LISTS BLACKSTAR FIREWORKS AND DEVASTATING PYROTECHNICS AS VALID OPERATORS LICENSED THROUGH JUNE OF NEXT YEAR. BACK TO YOU. OKAY. AND THAT’S AT THE STATE LEVEL. WHAT ABOUT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? DO WE HAVE ANYTHING THERE? RIGHT. WE KNOW ATF WOULD REGULATE THIS SORT OF THING. FIREWORKS AND EXPLOSIONS. SO WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SEE IF THEY ARE LICENSED TO STORE AND TRANSPORT FIREWORKS. WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. AND WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THESE COMPANIES THEMSELVES, OF COURSE, AND THE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. NO ANSWER AT THIS POINT. SO WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP. ALTHOUGH WE DID SEE THAT THEY DID POST A STATEMENT JUST IN THE TIME THAT WE’VE BEEN BRINGING YOU THIS REPORT TO THEIR WEBSITE, A STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PYROTECHNICS BUSINESS. IT SAYS OUR HEARTS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE WE LOST THEIR FAMILIES AND EVERYONE IMPACTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SWIFT RESPONSE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. OUR FOCUS WILL REMAIN ON THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS TRAGEDY, AND WE WILL COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE PROPER AUTHORITIES IN THEIR INVESTIGATION. SO YEAH, YOU CAN SEE THEY UPDATED THEIR WEBSITE. THEY WERE NOT ANSWERING THEIR PHONE CALLS OR EMAILS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. ALL RIGHT, LIZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE AND THE LATE BREAKING. YOU KNOW, STATEMENT THAT THEY WE
Seven people remain unaccounted for more than a day after a fireworks facility in rural Yolo County caught fire and sparked several massive explosions.Public records and officials for communities with events impacted by the fireworks explosion identified the company at the Esparto facility as Devastating Pyrotechnics. MORE | Find the latest on the Esparto investigation hereOn Tuesday evening, the website for Devastating Pyrotechnics showed that the company has headquarters in San Francisco and Esparto. Throughout Wednesday, the website was edited with information being taken off the site. On Wednesday evening, the web page was updated to share the following statement: “Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”KCRA 3 Investigates obtained records from the Secretary of State dating the company back to 2013. Additional state records show another company by the name of Blackstar Fireworks listed at the Esparto address. That company’s records date back to 2023. The State Fire Marshal’s website lists both companies as valid operators licensed through June 2026.Both companies are connected with a man named Craig Cutright. Cutright is an active volunteer firefighter for the Esparto Fire Protection District, the chief confirmed to KCRA 3. Officials and investigators would not confirm details about any recent inspections at the site or insight about storage protocols followed at the facility. KCRA 3 has reached out to both companies but has not heard back. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
ESPARTO, Calif. —Seven people remain unaccounted for more than a day after a fireworks facility in rural Yolo County caught fire and sparked several massive explosions.
Public records and officials for communities with events impacted by the fireworks explosion identified the company at the Esparto facility as Devastating Pyrotechnics.
MORE | Find the latest on the Esparto investigation here
On Tuesday evening, the website for Devastating Pyrotechnics showed that the company has headquarters in San Francisco and Esparto.
Throughout Wednesday, the website was edited with information being taken off the site.
On Wednesday evening, the web page was updated to share the following statement:
“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community. We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”
KCRA 3 Investigates obtained records from the Secretary of State dating the company back to 2013.
Additional state records show another company by the name of Blackstar Fireworks listed at the Esparto address. That company’s records date back to 2023.
The State Fire Marshal’s website lists both companies as valid operators licensed through June 2026.
Both companies are connected with a man named Craig Cutright. Cutright is an active volunteer firefighter for the Esparto Fire Protection District, the chief confirmed to KCRA 3.
Officials and investigators would not confirm details about any recent inspections at the site or insight about storage protocols followed at the facility.
KCRA 3 has reached out to both companies but has not heard back.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
