A California couple whose gender reveal party caused a wildfire that killed the leader of an elite firefighting team last year has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, according to the Hill.
Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez pleaded not guilty Monday to charges involving the El Dorado Fire, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said on Tuesday.
The couple held a gender reveal party at El Dorado Ranch Park at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains on Sept 5. A smoke-generating device that the couple had placed in a field quickly ignited the dried grass.
The couple attempted to put out the fire with water bottles, but strong winds caused the fire to spread through national forests about 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
Charles Morton, 39, leader of the Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad, was killed on Sept. 17 when flames overran a remote area where firefighters were cutting fire breaks, to slow the spread of fires.
Thirteen people were injured and the fire forced the evacuations of hundreds of residents in the San Bernardino National Forest area. It destroyed five homes and 15 other buildings.
The couple currently faces one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, three felony counts of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, four counts of recklessly causing a fire to inhabited structures and 22 misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to property, the Hill reports.
The couple each face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted as charged.They were released on their own recognizance pending a Sept. 15 court date.