A man has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with a deadly wildfire that was caused by his family’s gender reveal in Southern California in 2020. Prosecutors have announced that he will serve a year in jail for his role in the incident.
A fire broke out on September 5, 2020, when Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Renee Jimenez and their young children organized a photo shoot to reveal the gender of their baby at El Dorado Ranch Park, located at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Set off in a field on a scorching day, ignited dry grass, resulting in a devastating wildfire on national forest land, approximately 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
The couple responsible attempted to quell the flames with bottled water, ultimately calling 911 for assistance.
Amid strong winds, the fire rapidly spread through wilderness on national forest land, claiming the life of Charles Morton, a 39-year-old firefighter and leader of the elite Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad.
The incident occurred on September 17, 2020, as flames overran a remote area where firefighters were working on fire breaks. Morton, who had dedicated 18 years to firefighting, tragically lost his life.
Refugio Jimenez Jr. has since pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure. Following his year-long jail term, he will face two years of felony probation and 200 hours of community service.
Angelina Jimenez, his partner, has admitted to three minor crimes of recklessly causing fire to someone else’s property.
California Wildfire Tragedy
As a result, she has been sentenced to one year of short suspension and is required to complete 400 hours community service. The couple has been ordered to pay $1,789,972 in restitution as well.
District Attorney Jason Anderson expressed that the case’s resolution could never be deemed a victory, offering condolences to Morton’s family and acknowledging the irreplaceable loss suffered by victims, including their homes and cherished memories.
On the third anniversary of the fire’s ignition, the US Forest Service initiated a lawsuit against the manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of the pyrotechnic device, along with the Jimenez couple. The lawsuit contends that the “Smoke Bombs” used were illegal in California and known to be defective.
Mike Scafiddi, the lawyer representing Refugio Jimenez Jr., stated that the couple has wished to speak publicly about the incident’s impact on the community and Morton’s death but has refrained due to ongoing federal litigation.
Contrary to previous assertions, Scafiddi clarified that there was no gender-reveal party; instead, it was a photo shoot to discover the baby’s gender with a few relatives and their children.
The wildfire resulted in injuries to 13 individuals, forced evacuations, and the destruction of five homes and 15 other buildings, affecting nearly 36 square miles of land in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The incident was part of a record-breaking wildfire season in California, where over 4% of the state was charred, leading to the destruction of nearly 10,500 buildings and the loss of 33 lives.
