A Yolo County judge has granted $1.5 million bail to former Yolo County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Samuel Machado, the owner of the Esparto fireworks facility where an explosion killed seven men last year.
Machado’s property housed the Devastating Pyrotechnics fireworks operation where the June 2025 explosion occurred.
The judge ordered that if Machado is released, he must surrender his passport, live at a designated residence and refrain from possessing any explosives, fireworks or weapons. Prosecutors also sought GPS monitoring, but the judge denied that request.
The case triggered a sweeping investigation by state and local authorities…