An Ohio-based smoke bomb designer and importer, along with two other companies, agreed on June 2 to pay more than $4 million to the United States for costs and damages resulting from the 2020 El Dorado Fire. The fire was started during a gender reveal photo shoot in Yucaipa, burned nearly 23,000 acres, destroyed multiple structures, and resulted in a firefighter’s death.
Wholesale Fireworks Corp., based in Hubbard, Ohio, and its subsidiary American Fireworks Wholesale LLC of Hudson, Ohio, will pay $4 million to settle claims brought by the United States Forest Service. Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc., a Florida company involved in distributing the pyrotechnic device used at the event, agreed to pay $50,000.
The El Dorado Fire began on September 5, 2020, when a smoke bomb was ignited at a gender reveal party at El Dorado Ranch Park. The fire spread into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest. In total, it burned 22,744 acres and damaged or destroyed nine structures and fifteen outbuildings.
According to federal authorities, Wholesale Fireworks Corp. and American Fireworks Wholesale designed, imported, distributed, marketed and advertised the smoke bomb that caused the fire; Pink or Blue also distributed and marketed it. The complaint alleged that defendants failed to safely design or label their products or properly warn customers about fire risks even though they were aware of such dangers. Authorities said these smoke bombs should not have been sold in California, where they are illegal.
The couple responsible for organizing the gender reveal party later pleaded guilty to criminal charges in San Bernardino County Superior Court related to starting the blaze. Assistant United States Attorneys Yujin Chun and Katherine Hikida handled this matter for the government.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties through community outreach programs focused on victim assistance and public education while prosecuting federal criminal cases with law enforcement partners, according to its official website.