Posted on 07/07/2025 8:04:51 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A teenage father-to-be was among seven killed when a Northern California fireworks warehouse erupted in a terrifying explosion during his first shift there, according to his devastated girlfriend.
Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, was killed alongside two of his brothers, Johnny Ramos and Junior Melendez, when repeated explosions devastated the fireworks warehouse where they were working Tuesday in Yolo County near Esparto, according to ABC10.
The teen was on his first shift at the facility, working to prepare for the arrival of his first child, his pregnant girlfriend, Syanna Ruiz, told the outlet.
The blasts at the facility, which occurred just days before the Fourth of July, shook homes and sparked “numerous spot fires” that forced locals to evacuate, according to local reports.
The collective blaze sparked by the explosion, dubbed the Oakdale Fire, spread to over 78 acres before its progress was halted around 7:30 p.m., officials said.
Two people were treated for injuries, according to officials.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blast.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Do you know a little about this family?
Maybe they are hispanic, but fully Americanized.
Is that what you mean?
No, it’s just that time has drifted along in its lazy way, and now the children of anchor babies are now having children of their own.
I worked an indoor fireworks store this last 2 weeks. Turns out we had an expired fire extinguisher at that time
We figured that expired or not... if a fire were to occur; we’d run like hell as fast and as far away as we could.
I hate hearing stories like this. That poor mama... three sons all at once? Dang. The little girl is probably scared chitless right now.
.
“Mexican Americans love education so they go to night school
and they take Spanish and get a B.” - Cheech and Chong
That’s true. It’s been a long time since year 2005, when I saw a chattering stampede of illegals boldly marching down my street protesting GWB’s immigration laws.
We live in the woods on a lake in North Idaho. We went to a friend’s house to watch the fireworks show over the lake and you would not believe all the people setting off fireworks around the lake, in the forests, maybe in fields. Big stuff, too. Everywhere you looked for miles around, any direction, you see fireworks. There are so many going off that the low clouds were flickering whitish and it looked like lightning in the clouds.
I cannot believe this place does not burn down every year.
To be honest, I would have enjoyed standing there, watching the spectacle you describe. I would have loved feeling the earth shaking with patriotic delight!
Sad for the deaths but whew, all their daddies and maybes. He had a lot of his mama’s genes.
A fire extinguisher here is like a coffee mug in a river flood.
Los Angeles area as well - you’d think people would have learned their lesson after the massive wildfires we had here in January.
I got two Air Alerts overnight for bad air - as if the air here in the LA area isn’t bad enough - particulate level was 130 - it’s usually around 50 - anything over 50 is considered unhealthy. Paper said it was from all the fireworks.
I'll bet gross violations of safety procedures in a fireworks factory that the state of California didn't even know existed until it blew up.
It is really awesome, no doubt about that. But there’s always an undercurrent of unease, fear and angst.
I’m sure the beaches are a huge mess the next day, too. I remember the messes on Santa Cruz, Capitola and Aptos beaches on July 5.
Yes, Santa Barbara beaches as well - family used to walk down there for 40 years to see the fireworks. Last time I went, about 5 years ago, we said “never again” - a huge mess, and not from the local population...
One last Marlboro Man? many left I’m afraid.
Undoubtedly they were “safe and sane” = boring fireworks intended for sale in CA. I’m not aware of anywhere in the state where private persons can lawfully possess real fireworks due to fire danger (though plenty of people do)
Don’t you think it would’ve prudent to have brought your own mini-extinguisher and leave it in a backpack?
It's pretty obvious from the results that he didn't do that, and was storing excessive amounts *inside* of the warehouse building. If you want to do that (for any amount over 50 pounts of black powder), you need what the CFC calls a "type I" magazine, as follows:
(spoiler alert, Google Earth imagery indicates that the building didn't meet these requirements)
A surprisingly good report at the SF chron.
(a) Type 1 Magazines.
(1) A Type 1 magazine shall be a permanent structure; a building, igloo, tunnel, or dugout. It shall be bullet, theft, fire and weather resistant, and be well ventilated.
(A) A Type 1 magazine shall be built at least equivalent to one of the following methods:
1. 8 inch masonry.
2. Metal of at least 14 gauge.
3. Wood frame with at least 26-gauge metal covering. No wood shall be exposed on the exterior.
(B) A Type 1 magazine shall meet the following additional requirements.
1. Masonry in subsection (a)(1)(A)1. shall have any openings in tile or cement blocks filled with a coarse, dry sand or a wet mixture of 1 part cement and 10 parts dry sand.
2. Metal in subsections (a)(1)(A)2. and 3. above shall be lined inside with not less than 4 inches of brick, solid cement blocks, hardwood, or equivalent.
(C) Solid wood or plywood floors are required. Floors shall be strong enough to bear the weight of the maximum quantity to be stored.
(D) Magazines shall have no openings except for ventilation and entrances. Vent openings shall be screened to prevent sparks passing through them.
(E) Magazine roofs shall be constructed of at least 7/8-inch sheathing covered with not less than 26-gauge iron or aluminum. Where it is possible for a bullet to be fired directly through the roof and into the magazine at such an angle that the bullet would strike the explosives within, the magazine is to be protected by one of the following methods:
1. A sand tray lined with a layer of building paper, plastic or other nonporous material, and filled with not less than four inches of coarse, dry sand, and located at the tops of inner walls covering the entire ceiling area, except the portion necessary for ventilation, or
2. A fabricated metal roof constructed of 3/16 inch plate steel lined with four inches of hardwood. (For each additional 1/16 inch of plate steel, the hardwood lining may be decreased one inch.)
(F) Magazine doors shall be kept closed and locked, except when opened for transacting business. The magazine doors shall be constructed of at least 1/4 inch plate steel on the outside and lined with at least two inches of hardwood on the inside.
(G) Each door shall be equipped with:
1. Two mortise locks; or
2. Two padlocks fastened in separate hasps and staples; or
3. A combination of a mortise lock and padlock; or
4. A mortise lock that requires two keys to open; or
5. A three-point lock.
6. If padlocks are used, they shall have at least five tumblers and a case-hardened shackle of at least 3/8 inch diameter. Padlocks shall be protected with not less than 1/4 inch steel hoods constructed so as to prevent sawing or lever action on the locks, hasps, and staples.
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