A San Bernardino County wildfire that spanned 680 acres and took 275 firefighting personnel eight days to contain began with a few sparks from an excavator. That’s what the federal government is claiming in a complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The government is suing an Upland-based pipeline contracting company and its founder, Garrett John Gentry, for negligence and is seeking more than $2.
The agency said nine structures — residential and commercial — were destroyed and 28 others were damaged. There were no injuries or fatalities. According to Cal Fire, the fire began north of Glen Helen Parkway and east of Sierra Avenue and Lytle Creek Road just west of the 15 Freeway. The lawsuit alleges the fire originated at a property at 4053 Lytle Creek Road in Fontana.