Three companies will shell out more than $4 million to resolve federal claims tied to the 2020 El Dorado Fire, the gender-reveal stunt that exploded into one of Southern California’s most infamous wildfires. Sparked at a Yucaipa park and ultimately scorching nearly 23,000 acres, the blaze damaged or destroyed multiple buildings and claimed the life of a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter. The new settlements follow criminal pleas and a federal civil lawsuit that sought to recoup the Forest Service’s wildfire suppression costs.
What The Settlement Covers
Wholesale Fireworks Corp., its subsidiary American Fireworks Wholesale LLC, and Florida-based Pink or Blue Gender Team Inc. agreed to pay more than $4 million in total, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Wholesale Fireworks and American Fireworks Wholesale will pay $4 million, while Pink or Blue will contribute $50,000. Federal officials said the money will help cover Forest Service costs and damages from the El Dorado blaze and stressed that the agreement resolves allegations rather than establishing liability.
How The Fire Started And The Toll
According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, the fire ignited on Sept. 5, 2020, when a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used during a gender-reveal photo shoot at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa sent sparks into tinder-dry brush and steep terrain. The blaze ultimately burned about 22,744 acres, damaged or destroyed nine structures and 15 outbuildings, and forced broad evacuations. U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter Charles Morton died while battling the fire, a loss that loomed over both the criminal prosecutions and the later civil case.
Criminal Cases And Federal Lawsuit
The couple who set off the device later pleaded guilty in San Bernardino County. Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. admitted to involuntary manslaughter and received a one-year county jail sentence, while Angelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts and was given summary probation, as reported by the Associated Press. On the civil side, the U.S. Forest Service filed suit in September 2023 seeking suppression costs and damages, and federal court filings laid out the government’s allegations against the companies that made and distributed the devices. The federal docket lists Wholesale Fireworks, American Fireworks Wholesale, Pink or Blue, and the Jimenezes as defendants.
Legal Implications
Federal prosecutors alleged the smoke-bomb devices were defectively designed, illegally marketed into California, and sold without adequate fire-risk warnings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in its release that the products “should never have been sold into California,” and emphasized that the settlement resolves claims only and does not constitute an admission of fault. Attorneys and safety advocates note that agreements like this can nudge manufacturers to rethink labeling and distribution practices, while avoiding the cost, delay, and uncertainty of a full-blown trial.
Why It Matters
The El Dorado settlement lands amid a broader federal push to claw back the soaring expenses of wildfire suppression. In February 2026, for instance, PacifiCorp agreed to pay roughly $575 million to settle federal wildfire claims, according to the Associated Press, underscoring just how large these recovery efforts can be. Supporters say such actions help protect taxpayers and discourage risky behavior that can spark catastrophic fires, while critics argue the litigation can be costly and combative for companies and utilities that find themselves in the crosshairs.
What Comes Next
The new agreements close out one chapter in the long legal saga stemming from the El Dorado Fire, but they leave bigger questions hanging over product safety and interstate sales of pyrotechnic devices. Residents, evacuees, and the family of Charles Morton have tracked the criminal and civil cases and have said they hope the outcome steers people and companies away from similar disasters. The Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office detailed the settlement in a June 2 news release.
