Remains of 7 bodies recovered from fireworks blast site

By Michael McGough | Modesto Bee

Yolo County authorities announced Saturday the discovery of seven bodies at the site of Tuesday’s deadly fireworks explosion in rural Yolo County, matching the number of individuals reported missing in the blast.

Yolo County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lt. Don Harmon said Saturday just before 6 p.m. that authorities had “located all seven” and that they had recovered six bodies with recovery of the seventh in progress. Harmon said family notifications were underway and that the victims’ names would be released once the recovery effort was complete and all families notified.

The Sheriff’s Office in a social media post Saturday said a “controlled explosive disposal” was being conducted at the site of the Oakdale Fire by regional bomb squads, Cal Fire and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Sheriff’s officials said the controlled explosions were to remove hazardous materials and that that operation was expected to be complete around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

The confirmation of seven bodies found came a day after the Sheriff’s Office and Esparto Fire Protection District announced human remains had been found at the blast site a pyrotechnics facility in rural Yolo County, where the explosion sparked an 80-acre fire called the Oakdale Fire, created additional spot fires, and destroyed nearby homes and outbuildings.

Three of the reported victims were previously identified by family members as brothers Jesús Ramos, 18; Jhony Ramos Jr., 22; and Joel “Junior” Melendez, 28.

Two additional people have been reported among the dead.

A GoFundMe page identified 41-year-old Carlos Rodriguez as one of the missing. His wife, Tiffany Nolan-Rodriguez, and their children were “facing an unimaginable ordeal,” wrote family member Jerlena Nolan-Butler in a public plea for support, ABC 10 reported.

“Our hearts are shattered,” she wrote. “This tragic accident has taken so much from so many.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that CWC Life, a Manteca-based church, announced in a Friday post to Facebook that Angel Voller, a congregant, also died in the explosion.

“Our CWCLIFE family is heartbroken at the news of the passing of one of our sons Angel Voller,” Bishop Steve Perea wrote. “Please help us pray for Matt and Lica and their boys.”