California: Gender reveal party sparks fire that burned 7,000 acres of land

A firework at a gender reveal party sparked a wildfire in California that has burned more than 7,000 acres (2,800 hectares) of land and caused several residents to leave their homes, the fire department on Sunday said.

"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, the official account of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said on Twitter.

They also said over 500 firefighters and four choppers are deployed to abate the fire in El Dorado, east of San Bernardino, which was started early on Saturday.

"Those responsible for starting fires due to negligence or illegal activity can be held financially and criminally responsible," the state fire services said.

Gender reveal parties are organised during pregnancy to ascertain the sex of the to-be born child, where pink and blue smoke fireworks often take place.

Earlier, on Sunday, over 200 people who were trapped in fires in northern California were airlifted with the help of helicopters by the California National Guard.

High temperatures and dry conditions have led to massive fires in the US state this season, which destroyed 1.6 million acres of land.

The National Weather Service on Sunday said that a record 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius) was recorded on Sunday in Woodland Hills, highest-ever for Los Angeles county.