The California State Fire Marshal’s Office searched a home in San Francisco on Tuesday that’s believed to be linked to last week’s deadly fireworks warehouse explosion in Yolo County.
Seven people died in the small farming community of Esparto on July 1, roughly 80 miles north of the Bay Area. The dead were pulled from a warehouse operated by Devastating Pyrotechnics, a San Francisco-based business known for putting on fireworks shows for municipalities across the region.
On Tuesday, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire Marshal’s Office searched a home in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, according to news station KPIX. The home is registered as the company mailing address for Devastating Pyrotechnics and its chief executive, Kenneth Chee, in the state’s fireworks wholesaler database.
They were joined by sheriff’s officials from Yolo and Sacramento counties, along with San Francisco police officers, the station reported. Local news outlet Hoodline reports that members of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office’s bomb squad were also present during the search of the home.
“Investigators are actively tracking down numerous leads and have served multiple search warrants as part of the investigation process,” a spokesperson for the California Fire Marshal’s Office said in a statement. “While we are unable to provide additional details at this time, please know that we are committed to conducting a thorough and comprehensive investigation.”
A Yolo County spokesperson said they would not comment due to the ongoing investigation.
Though the seven people who died at the warehouse have not been officially identified, family members have stepped forward and said many were Latino men working part time for Devastating Pyrotechnics who were tasked with packing fireworks leading up to the Fourth of July weekend.
Esparto firefighters were notified about some type of emergency at the warehouse shortly before 6 p.m. on July 1. Fireworks fired off from the building before a large explosion ripped through the warehouse.
Douglas Horngrad, Chee’s attorney, said in a statement that his client “is innocent of any wrongdoing. Until the investigation is concluded, we will refrain from further public comment. Once again, we express our heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones.”
On Monday, emergency officials said they were transitioning out of the recovery phase surrounding the incident. Officials are now focusing on the law enforcement stage of the investigation.
