Gender reveal sparked massive blaze. Now 3 companies will pay for their role in El Dorado fire
Key takeaways
- After a gender reveal party went tragically wrong — sparking a major wildfire that led to the death of a firefighter — three companies have agreed to pay more than $4 million for their role in the blaze.
- At a 2020 celebration in a Yucaipa park, a couple used a pyrotechnic that was supposed to emit blue or pink smoke.
- The companies identified as a part of the settlement included the maker of the smoke bomb, Wholesale Fireworks Corp., and its subsidiary, American Fireworks Wholesale LLC, which are both based in Ohio.
Firefighter Shelby Robinette takes a break while battling the El Dorado fire near Yucaipa on Sept. 7, 2020. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) By Seamus Bozeman Follow June 2, 2026 8:33 PM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
After a gender reveal party went tragically wrong — sparking a major wildfire that led to the death of a firefighter — three companies have agreed to pay more than $4 million for their role in the blaze.
At a 2020 celebration in a Yucaipa park, a couple used a pyrotechnic that was supposed to emit blue or pink smoke. The device set off the El Dorado fire, which burned nearly 23,000 acres, damaged or destroyed nine structures, killed U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter Charles Morton, and injured two more firefighters and 13 other people. Hundreds had to evacuate their homes.