Farm sues over deadly NorCal fireworks explosion that destroyed crops

ESPARTO, Calif. (KGO) -- In the tight-knit farming community of Esparto, fields of crops stretch for acres.

Now after the deadly fireworks explosion that killed seven people on July 1, damage stretches for acres, too.

"This explosion has devastated the entire community," said Andrew Bluth. "This is a farming community."

Bluth is a partner at Singleton Schrieber, based in Sacramento.

"We represent local farmers who have invested years and incredible resources into their crops that they work on year after year," said Bluth.

One of those farmers is Etta James Farming LLC, now the first company to sue fireworks operators and the property owner after the blast.

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"This is a tragedy that should not have happened," explained Bluth.

The civil lawsuit filed in Yolo County names Devastating Pyrotechnics and Blackstar Fireworks, along with their owners, as defendants. It also names the property's owner Sam Machado, who is a lieutenant with the Yolo County sheriff's office.

The suit alleges negligence and recklessness, seeking damages for crop loss, and pointed to Machado's position of power, saying he "realized substantial financial benefits from allowing the other named defendants to operate an unlawful and unpermitted commercial-grade fireworks operation at the Fireworks Facility."

Machado and his wife, an administrative employee with the sheriff's office, were both put on administrative leave on July 10.

"We're investigating exactly what role, if any, the county may have had in contributing to this explosion," said Bluth.

The suit also alleged that the defendants were manufacturing and selling illegal fireworks: "Defendants also failed to provide adequate notice to visitors and adjacent farmers and other landowners that the site of the explosion was being used as a place to store explosives..."

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Shortly after the explosion, a loophole was revealed in how the fireworks operator may have obtained permits.

"Nobody knew, certain our clients didn't know that there was an illegal fireworks depo next door to them," said Bluth.

ABC7 News also reached out to the attorney representing the owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, who said he did not have a chance to review the lawsuit and thus had no comment.

Meantime, families of the victims killed are still grieving the loss.

Family members laid Christopher Bocog of San Francisco to rest on Tuesday afternoon.

A service for brothers Jesus and Jhony Ramos Jr, also from San Francisco, is set for Saturday.