California
Man arrested after woman dies in California fireworks explosion
See video of Waymo driving through exploding fireworks
Waymo passengers were stunned as the self-driving car rolled into exploding fireworks in San Francisco during the Fourth of July celebration.
A man has been arrested for involuntary manslaughter after a woman was killed and three other people were injured from a fireworks explosion in Southern California over the holiday weekend, authorities said.
Officers responded at about 8:30 p.m. local time on July 4 to a reported vehicle fire in a neighborhood in the city of Chino, California, the Chino Police Department said in a news release. Chino is located in western San Bernardino County, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles.
When officers arrived, police said they found that an explosion had occurred and multiple people had been injured. Officers immediately provided first aid to several victims with serious injuries. A nearby vehicle was also engulfed in flames as a result of the explosion, according to police.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe a large quantity of fireworks ignited, causing the explosion,” police said in the news release, adding that the incident remains under investigation.
Derion Tradon James Jr., 28, was detained at the scene and later booked into the West Valley Detention Center for involuntary manslaughter, police said. The case will be submitted to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Following the incident, police said investigators and fire personnel remained at the scene as they worked to ensure the area was safe and evaluate any remaining fireworks, debris and other hazards. Several nearby roadways were closed over the weekend.
The Chino Police Department is leading the criminal investigation. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner will conduct the death investigation, while the Ontario Fire Department Bomb Squad is assisting investigators with the explosives-related part of the case.
Woman died at hospital after sustaining severe injuries
Three people were transported to local hospitals with severe injuries, according to police. One of the victims, a woman in her 20s, later died from her injuries at a hospital.
Her identity is being withheld pending identification and notification of next of kin by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, police said.
The two other victims suffered serious injuries and are expected to survive, police said. Their identities have not been released.
A fourth victim, who police described as a juvenile, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and “has since been released to a parent or guardian,” according to the news release.
Latest fireworks-related incident during July Fourth celebrations
Ahead of July Fourth celebrations, experts had warned the public to stay safe around fireworks, citing a spike in the number of fireworks-related fatalities in 2025.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were 15 deaths and 13,000 injuries in the United States attributed to either the misuse of or malfunctions with fireworks. Of those, 1,300 emergency-room-treated injuries were caused by sparklers.
About 68% of all fireworks injuries occur in July; July Fourth is the most injury-prone day, with 27% of total injuries, USA TODAY previously reported. New Year’s Day is the second-largest, with 5.5% of total injuries.
Numerous incidents involving fireworks were reported across the country over the holiday weekend, including several in Southern California.
In Los Angeles County, the fire department said a man was critically injured after a fire burned at least two cars in a parking lot in the Wilmington neighborhood on July 3. The incident also prompted the evacuation of a nearby hotel and a two-story single-family home, displacing 10 adults and two children.
After extinguishing the flames with foam, crews discovered “what appeared to be potentially dangerous explosives/fireworks” near the vehicles, and the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad determined that “commercial grade fireworks” were found on the ground next to the burned vehicles, according to the department.
Fourth of July celebrations in Newport Beach, California, a coastal city in Orange County, led to over 400 arrests after large crowds became disorderly, according to police. “As the crowd rapidly grew, individuals engaged in increasingly dangerous and unlawful behavior” including by “blocking roadways, restricting emergency vehicle access and throwing explosive mortars, fireworks and other projectiles at police officers,” the city of Newport Beach said.
Contributing: Stephen J. Beard and Paris Barraza, USA TODAY