The Department of Justice is suing a private pipeline contracting company for its role in a 2021 fire that burned hundreds of acres in the San Bernardino National Forest.
The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday by the U.S. attorney in the Central District of California, accuses Garrett J. Gentry General Engineering and its owner Garrett Gentry of negligence in operating an excavator in a rocky area.
According to the lawsuit, Gentry told investigators that he was in the area to determine if an underdeveloped site was fit for developing a commercial property. Then, he exited the area on an excavator after finding it to be too rocky. He noticed smoke coming from the direction he had traveled and made insufficient efforts to suppress the fire, the suit alleges.
The lawsuit states that investigators determined the fire started after the steel treads of the excavator operated by Gentry and his company contacted rock and started a fire.
