On June 17, 2015 at 5:04 PM, Fairfield police received reports of an explosion at a home in the 1700 block of Catlin Drive, Fairfield. 911 callers reported one loud explosion and a male lying on the ground in front of the residence.
Officers arrived and located Anthony Stewart, 42 yrs, of Fairfield, with severe injuries. Stewart had sustained life threatening burns across his body. Stewart was transported by ambulance to a local trauma center and subsequently airlifted to a Sacramento area burn unit. His current condition is not known.
The initial investigation revealed that Stewart was assembling explosive fireworks for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday inside his garage. A large quantity of undetonated devices and explosive material was also found within the garage. Residents immediately surrounding this house were evacuated.
Explosive experts from the Yolo County Bomb Squad and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the scene according to protocol. Bomb squad personnel began removing or rendering safe the large cache of devices and materials. This process is expected to last throughout the night.
Evacuated residents have been re-located for the night with the assistance of the local chapter of the American Red Cross. The investigation is in the early stages and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
