By September 24, the fire had grown to 22,604 acres (9,148 ha), but was estimated to be 81 percent contained and the evacuation order for Angelus Oaks was lifted. On September 18 residents of Forest Falls and Mountain Home Village were allowed to return to their homes. Forest Service Hotshot crews conducted controlled burns near Angelus Oaks on September 17, wind gusts created local fires that resulted in the death of a firefighter. On September 17 the El Dorado Fire crossed State Route 38 and grew to 21,678 acres (8,773 ha) by the next day. On September 15, CAL FIRE estimated that the spread of the fire, then at 17,892 acres (7,241 ha), was 61 percent contained. Angelus Oaks and Forest Falls were evacuated at the same time, however, and residents of Big Bear were advised to evacuate.

In spite of winds, continued high temperatures, and low humidity, firefighters made enough progress containing the spread of the El Dorado Fire to allow for the lifting of evacuation orders in Yucaipa and Oak Glen on September 10, September 11, September 12, and September 13, and Riverside County on September 10. On September 9, the annual Santa Ana winds fanned the El Dorado Fire, which grew to 14,043 acres (5,683 ha) by the morning of September 12. Lower temperatures and higher humidity on September 8 briefly slowed the spread of the El Dorado Fire, which grew to 11,259 acres (4,556 ha) and prompted more evacuations in San Bernardino County. Firefighters halted its advance south, though evacuation notices were issued to residents of Riverside County, to the south of San Bernardino County, and the SBNF was closed. On September 7, the fire grew to 9,671 acres (3,914 ha). A 12-mile (19 km) stretch of California State Route 38 and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) were closed. In response to the fire's spread, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County, and evacuations were ordered in Mountain Home Village, Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Yucaipa. Because of the steep terrain, temperatures exceeding 100 ☏ (38 ☌), and low humidity, the fire spread rapidly northward and grew to an area of 7,050 acres (2,850 ha) on September 6. Fire A firefighter at the El Dorado Fire on September 10įirst responders arrived and began to attempt suppression of the El Dorado Fire at 10:40 a.m., when it had an area of five acres (2.0 ha).

The cause of the fire inspired widespread mockery and condemnation against gender reveal parties, and was frequently compared to the 2017 Sawmill Fire, ignited by an exploding target at a gender reveal party in Arizona. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Jimenezes attempted to extinguish the fire with bottled water, then reported the fire to the authorities and cooperated with their investigation. The detonation of the smoke bomb lit nearby dry grass on fire, which spread rapidly.

set off a smoke bomb at a gender reveal photoshoot at the El Dorado Ranch Park near Yucaipa, in southern San Bernardino County. ( PDT) on September 5, 2020, when Angela Renee Jimenez and Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. Burning over a 71-day period, the fire destroyed 20 structures and resulted in one firefighter fatality, for which the couple hosting the party were charged with involuntary manslaughter. It was ignited on September 5 by a pyrotechnic device at a gender reveal party in El Dorado Ranch Park it quickly spread to the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest. Yosemite engines and crews, 2 Bureau of Land Management engines, Whiskeytown Fire Module, and overhead personnel from Point Reyes are monitoring these fires.The El Dorado Fire burned 22,744 acres (9,204 ha 35.538 sq mi 92.04 km 2) in San Bernardino and Riverside counties of California from September to November 2020. Thunderstorms, lightning and fire have been part of the ecosystem for thousands of years and are necessary for natural processes and the long term health of forests. These fires are in the wilderness and are being monitored by either fire crews hiking into the fire areas or via air reconnaissance due to location, sparse fuels, and low growth potential. Most of these fires are small, single-tree strikes that amount to less than a tenth of an acre. Additional fires may be discovered, as temperatures rise and fuels dry out. Lightning caused fires can take days or weeks to detect because vegetation has to dry out enough to create smoke or visible flames after the storm passes over. Periodic thunderstorms have continued and over the month of July and early August there are now 5 lightning caused fires being monitored for multiple objectives.

California fire map 2020