Gender-reveal "pyrotechnic" blamed for 7,000-acre wildfire in California

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A firework at a gender reveal party triggered a wildfire in southern California that has destroyed 7,000 acres and forced many residents to flee their homes, the fire department said Sunday. More than 500 firefighters and four helicopters were battling the El Dorado blaze east of San Bernardino, which started Saturday morning, Cal Fire said.

A plume of smoke from the El Dorado Fire is seen from the Interstate 10 in Loma Linda, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. RINGO H.W. CHIU / AP

Residents of several communities in the area have been ordered to evacuate.

"CAL FIRE Law Enforcement has determined the El Dorado Fire, burning near Oak Glen in San Bernardino County, was caused by a smoke generating pyrotechnic device, used during a gender reveal party," Cal Fire said on Twitter.

"Those responsible for starting fires due to negligence or illegal activity can be held financially and criminally responsible," it warned.

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Gender reveal parties are held during pregnancy to unveil the sex of the expected child, sometimes announced by pink or blue smoke fireworks.

CBS Los Angeles reports the El Dorado Fire has forced the evacuations of 3,000 residents and has burned more than 7,000 acres. It is only five percent contained.

"It burned in four different directions since we've been here. It was pushing to the east, then to the north, and then big westwardly wind shift, and (Sunday) it moved to the south. The wind has been pretty dramatically inconsistent," said Ben Holmes, a U.S. Forest Service senior firefighter on the Arroyo Grande Hotshots team, 

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California has been baking under scorching conditions with temperatures reaching a record 121 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday in Woodland Hills, an all-time high for Los Angeles county, the National Weather Service said.

The Creek Fire burns in the Sierra National Forest on September 6, 2020, near Big Creek, California.MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP

With the hot and dry conditions, California has suffered a particularly busy fire season this year, with more than 1.6 million acres destroyed so far, including in three of the biggest blazes in the state's history.

In northern California, rescuers in military helicopters airlifted 207 people to safety over the weekend after an explosive wildfire trapped them in a popular camping area in California's Sierra National Forest, authorities said. Dozens were packed into a Chinook, a photograph posted by the California National Guard showed.

The Creek Fire, which started on Friday in steep and rugged terrain, has so far spread to 73,000 acres, according to the US Forest Service, making it one of the largest.

More than 800 firefighters were battling the blaze.

Another rapidly-spreading fire near San Diego, Valley Fire, has so far spread to 10,000 acres and destroyed 11 structures, Cal Fire said.

California governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday declared a state of emergency for five counties affected by the Creek, El Dorado and Valley fires.

"The fires have burned tens of thousands of acres, destroyed homes and caused the evacuation of thousands of residents," the governor's office said.

Record temperatures over the three-day Labor Day weekend have aggravated already dangerous fire conditions and further stressed exhausted California firefighters.