A teenage expectant father was one of seven people killed when a fireworks warehouse in Northern California exploded during his first shift, his grieving girlfriend said.
Jesus Manaces Ramos, 18, died along with two of his brothers, Johnny Ramos and Junior Melendez, after multiple explosions ripped through the building where they were working on Tuesday in Yolo County near Esparto, ABC10 reported.
Ramos was on his first day at the job, trying to earn money ahead of the birth of his first child, his pregnant girlfriend, Syanna Ruiz, told the outlet.
“He viewed it as a new chapter for us,” she said, crying. “He was so excited. He was a good person—he is a good person.”
Ruiz said Ramos had just started the temporary warehouse job alongside his brothers.
The three brothers were initially among seven individuals reported missing—until fire officials confirmed on Sunday that all seven bodies had been found.
“They were all incredible men with so much ahead of them,” Ruiz said of the brothers.
Ruiz criticized officials for keeping families in the dark in the days after the explosion. She said she rushed to the blast site to demand answers and accused local authorities and fire officials of failing to communicate with her and other relatives.
Fire officials acknowledged families’ frustration but said dangerous conditions at the scene delayed their efforts.
The explosions at the facility, which happened just days before the Fourth of July, rattled nearby homes and ignited “numerous spot fires” that forced evacuations, according to local reports.
The massive fire caused by the explosion, known as the Oakdale Fire, spread across more than 78 acres before being contained around 7:30 p.m., officials reported.
Two individuals received treatment for injuries, according to authorities.
Officials continue to investigate the cause of the explosion.
