Wildfire caused by gender reveal gone wrong
September 10, 2020
California Fire Law Enforcement has determined that one of the newest wildfires in Southern California has been caused by a gender reveal party on Saturday.
The party in question had used a smoke-generating pyrotechnic, which proceeded to burst into flames and catch fire. The wildfire, which began at El Dorado Ranch Park, has since damaged over 7,000 acres of land, and forced the evacuations of over 3,000 people.
Law Enforcement has said that the individuals responsible are cooperating with fire investigators. The penalties for their actions will depend on whether they will be charged with misdemeanors or felonies, which is yet to be determined.
This is not the first time a gender reveal party has sparked a wildfire in the US. In 2017 a family in Arizona set up a target that, when shot, exploded in a colorful cloud of blue smoke. What was not expected however, was that the explosion would then catch fire to the surrounding grass. The man who shot the target in that case was later convicted with five years of probation, as well as being forced to pay $8,188,069 in restitution. The fire caused by that example ended up burning 47,000 acres of land.