The owner of a fireworks company has been arrested at Walt Disney World in Florida on multiple murder charges following a deadly explosion in California that killed seven people. Kenneth Kin Chee, 48, who runs Devastating Pyrotechnics, was detained by the Orange County Sheriff's Office at the resort in Bay Lake on Thursday.
The blast occurred on 1 July 2025 at a property in Esparto, Yolo County, where illegal fireworks were being stored. A localised fire quickly escalated into violent detonations, levelling several buildings and scorching 80 acres of land. Firefighters took nearly five days to bring the flames under control. The victims included 18-year-old Jesus Ramos, who was on his first day of work, and his brother Jhony, 22, as well as recent high school graduate Angel Voller, 18. DNA testing and dental records were needed to identify remains.
Chee is one of nine people arrested in connection with the explosion. He faces seven counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. Also charged are Samuel Machado, a lieutenant with the Yolo County Sheriff's Office, and Jack Y. Lee, the operations manager for Chee's company. Machado and his wife owned the property where the fireworks were stored. Other arrestees include Gary Young Chan Jr., Craig Cutright, and Ronald Botelho III, who face various charges including murder and illegal possession of explosives.
A Yolo County Civil Grand Jury report released last month alleged that county officials ignored the illegal fireworks operation for at least three years, citing a lack of code enforcement and oversight that led directly to the deaths. While Devastating Pyrotechnics held some permits, it lacked necessary local land-use permits and business licences. The site had grown from a small family operation into a business supplying fireworks displays across California.
Following the incident, the California State Fire Marshal revoked the licences of both companies involved, and the state's Division of Occupational Safety and Health imposed more than $200,000 in fines for regulatory failures linked to the explosion. The Yolo County District Attorney's Office is expected to announce formal indictments on Friday.
