The El Dorado Fire was a California wildfire ignited on September 5, 2020, when a couple set off a pyrotechnic smoke device at a gender reveal party in Yucaipa. The fire burned 22,744 acres across San Bernardino and Riverside counties over 72 days, killed a U.S. Forest Service firefighter, destroyed structures, and forced thousands of evacuations. It ended in criminal convictions for the couple and a federal settlement of more than $4 million against the companies that made and sold the device.1Los Angeles Times. Gender Reveal Sparked El Dorado Fire, Companies to Pay Millions in Damages
How the Fire Started
On the morning of September 5, 2020, Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Renee Jimenez set off a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device at El Dorado Ranch Park, a grassy area along Oak Glen Road in Yucaipa. The device was meant to emit blue or pink smoke to reveal a baby’s gender. It ignited the surrounding dry vegetation instead.1Los Angeles Times. Gender Reveal Sparked El Dorado Fire, Companies to Pay Millions in Damages The smoke bombs lacked a California State Fire Marshal Registration Seal and were illegal to sell in the state.2U.S. Department of Justice. Three Companies Pay More Than $4 Million to Settle Lawsuit Stemming From Gender Reveal
Conditions that day were extreme. Record heat, drought, and dry fuels drove the fire into the San Bernardino National Forest and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. CAL FIRE recorded ignition at 5:51 a.m. The fire was not fully contained until November 16, 2020, 72 days later, after burning 22,744 acres.3CAL FIRE. El Dorado Fire Roughly two dozen structures, including homes and outbuildings, were damaged or destroyed.4NBC Los Angeles. Settlement in San Bernardino County Gender Reveal Fire
The Firefighter Who Died
Charles “Charlie” Morton, a 39-year-old squad leader with the Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Crew, was killed on September 17, 2020. He had 18 years of wildland firefighting experience, 14 of them with the U.S. Forest Service.5U.S. Forest Service. El Dorado Fire Learning Review Narrative
That afternoon Morton and his crew were running a burnout operation on the slopes of San Bernardino Peak to protect the town of Angelus Oaks. Wind gusts estimated at 60 miles per hour blew spot fires across Highway 38 and a bulldozer containment line. Morton moved along the highway to assess the spots. His last radio transmission reported that he was “in a corner.” He was fatally burned while performing suppression actions and was later found near the dozer line.5U.S. Forest Service. El Dorado Fire Learning Review Narrative He was survived by his fiancée, Monica, and his daughter, Ava, and was honored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in 2021.6National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Charles E. Morton
A Forest Service learning review found that the fire was understaffed from the start. A blaze of its complexity would normally draw about ten hotshot crews. The El Dorado Fire had four. The country was at National Preparedness Level 5, the highest tier of resource demand, with record temperatures above 118°F and unprecedented nighttime fire behavior. The incident was managed by a Type 2 team with an embedded Type 1 incident commander, a workaround that reflected the scarcity of fully qualified teams.5U.S. Forest Service. El Dorado Fire Learning Review Narrative
What the Couple Faced in Court
On July 21, 2021, a San Bernardino County grand jury indicted Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Renee Jimenez on 30 counts: one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, three felony counts of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, four felony counts of recklessly causing fire to inhabited structures, and 22 misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to another’s property. Both pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance.7San Bernardino County District Attorney. Grand Jury Returns Indictment on Couple Who Sparked the Yucaipa El Dorado Fire
The case resolved through plea agreements in February 2024. Refugio Jimenez pleaded guilty to one felony count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Charles Morton and two felony counts of recklessly causing fire to an inhabited structure. He was sentenced to one year in county jail, two years of felony probation, and 200 hours of community service. His jail term began on February 23, 2024. Angelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to property of another and was sentenced to one year of summary probation and 400 hours of community service. The couple was jointly ordered to pay $1,789,972 in victim restitution.8San Bernardino County District Attorney. El Dorado Case Update
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said after the plea: “Resolving the case was never going to be a win. The Defendants’ reckless conduct had tremendous impact on land, properties, emergency response resources, the displacement of entire communities, and resulted in the tragic death of Forest Service Wildland Firefighter Charles Morton.”9ABC7. El Dorado Fire Gender Reveal Plea Deal
What the Companies Paid
In September 2023, the United States sued the three companies in the smoke bomb’s supply chain in the Central District of California, seeking to recover Forest Service firefighting costs and damages to federal land. Suppression alone had cost the government more than $41 million.10Courthouse News Service. Wholesale Fireworks Ruling
The defendants were:
- Wholesale Fireworks Corp., an Ohio-based company that designed and imported the smoke bombs and sold firework products nationally through its website.
- American Fireworks Warehouse LLC, a subsidiary of Wholesale Fireworks Corp. incorporated in Delaware with operations in Ohio and Maryland, which served as a distribution channel.
- Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc., a Florida-based company that marketed, distributed, and advertised the devices under the gender reveal brand.
The government alleged that the companies failed to safely design and label the smoke bombs, failed to warn customers about fire risks despite knowing the dangers, and sold the devices into California where they were illegal. Claims included negligence, violations of California health and safety codes, trespass by fire, and strict product liability. In September 2024, the court denied motions by Wholesale Fireworks and American Fireworks Warehouse to dismiss the negligence and safety-code claims.10Courthouse News Service. Wholesale Fireworks Ruling
In June 2026, all three companies settled. Wholesale Fireworks Corp. and American Fireworks Warehouse LLC agreed to pay a combined $4 million. Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc. agreed to pay $50,000. The settlements included no determination of liability.2U.S. Department of Justice. Three Companies Pay More Than $4 Million to Settle Lawsuit Stemming From Gender Reveal An attorney for Wholesale Fireworks and American Fireworks Warehouse said the companies “always maintained that they had no liability as to the events described in the litigation pleadings and defendants vigorously contested the allegations made against them.”11Cleveland.com. Ohio Fireworks Company Pays $4M Over Gender Reveal Party That Sparked Wildfire
Evacuations and the Burn-Scar Aftermath
Within days of ignition, mandatory evacuation orders covered Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks, Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Mountain Home Village, along with portions of northeast Yucaipa. Residents between Angelus Oaks and Onyx Summit were directed north on Highway 38 toward Big Bear.12Desert Sun. El Dorado Fire New Evacuation Warning Issued for Yucaipa Residents By September 20, 3,467 residences had been evacuated.13LAist. El Dorado Fire Day 16
The danger did not end with containment. In January 2021, more than 8,000 residents in Oak Glen, northeast Yucaipa, and Mountain Home Village were ordered to evacuate again when an incoming storm threatened debris flows and mudslides on the fire-scarred terrain.14KVCR News. Mandatory Evacuation Orders Now in Place for Some of the Apple and El Dorado Fire Burn Areas