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Govt Secures $4.05 M Settlement Over Fatal Fireworks Blaze

6/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The federal government secured a $4.05 million settlement from three fireworks companies.
A 2020 gender-reveal party in Yucaipa, California ignited the El Dorado Fire, which burned 23,000 acres and killed firefighter Charles Morton.
Prosecutors said the illegal, un-warned smoke bombs formed the basis of the government’s failure-to-warn claim, a rare move that legal scholars say holds manufacturers accountable like utility companies.

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Story summary

The federal government secured a $4.05 million settlement from three fireworks companies.
A 2020 gender-reveal party in Yucaipa, California ignited the El Dorado Fire, which burned 23,000 acres and killed firefighter Charles Morton.
Prosecutors said the illegal, un-warned smoke bombs formed the basis of the government’s failure-to-warn claim, a rare move that legal scholars say holds manufacturers accountable like utility companies.