Three people linked to last year’s fatal fireworks explosions in Esparto have been taken into custody, as per jail records. Samuel Machado and his spouse Tammy, who possessed the property in Yolo County where illegal fireworks were stored, leading to the deaths of seven individuals on July 1, were among those arrested. Both individuals were employed at the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, Samuel, 45, as a lieutenant, and Tammy, 46, as a non-sworn administrative worker. They were placed on leave following the incident. Records from the Sutter County jail indicate that Samuel Machado was apprehended on Thursday afternoon. Tammy Machado was also arrested and reportedly posted bail.
Craig Cutright, 61, the proprietor of a fireworks company that operated on the Machados’ property in Esparto, was also arrested. He was detained in Yolo County. Cutright, a volunteer firefighter for the Esparto Fire District, is the owner of Blackstar Fireworks and also listed as an employee of Devastating Fireworks. Information regarding the charges was not immediately disclosed. KCRA 3 has reached out to the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, the district attorney, and the lawyer representing Devastating Pyrotechnics. The Yolo County DA’s Office declared it will host a press conference on Friday morning to announce indictments. A report released by the Yolo County Civil Grand Jury last month alleged that senior Yolo County officials were aware of illegal fireworks activities at the Esparto explosion site for a minimum of three years but failed to enforce any codes, leading directly to “death and destruction.”
The investigation was focused on comprehending the breakdown of the county’s code enforcement procedure. The victims were employees of Devastating Pyrotechnics, which operated from the property. Additional investigations are ongoing. In February, Cal Fire’s State Fire Marshal reported finding indicators of criminal behavior and forwarded the findings to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. Subsequent to the explosions, the state marshal’s office revoked the pyrotechnics licenses of the two companies operating at the Esparto location, determining that they had breached state fireworks laws and regulations. In December, CAL/OSHA issued fines exceeding $200,000 through 15 citations, three of which were classified as serious regulatory violations directly linked to the fatal explosions.
The grand jury report outlines the progression of fireworks storage at the Machados’ property, which was previously owned by farmer Jerry Matsumura, known for organizing fireworks displays. After his passing in 2015, the property’s operations transformed into a “substantial business” called Devastating Pyrotechnics, providing fireworks for events across the state. The report indicates that Matsumura’s daughters, Rieko Matsumura and Tammy Machado, took over the property and worked at the sheriff’s office alongside Samuel Machado. Over time, Devastating Pyrotechnics’ owner, Kenneth Chee, expanded operations at the Machados’ property, introducing additional containers for storing explosives. Despite holding federal and state permits, Devastating Fireworks lacked a local use permit or business license, violating ordinances prohibiting fireworks businesses within the county.
Previous investigations revealed that Yolo County officials were aware of concerns at the Esparto location, documented through emails obtained via a public records request.
