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A fire in California that has burned more than 7,000 acres was caused by a “pyrotechnic device used at a gender reveal party,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection found.
In a statement issued late Sunday, the department said: “The fire started at 10:23 am on September 5, 2020 at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa,” before spreading north.
The agency said the fire was caused by a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used during “a gender reveal party.” The fire started Saturday morning.
“With the dry conditions and critical fire climate, it doesn’t take much to start a wildfire. Those responsible for starting fires due to negligence or illegal activity can be held financially and criminally liable, ”the statement said.
Since then, the fire has destroyed 7,050 acres. It has prompted the evacuation of 3,000 residents, CBS reported.
Nearly 12,500 firefighters are currently fighting 22 major fires across the state, according to Cal Fire. Earlier Sunday, Cal Fire said nearly 12,500 firefighters were fighting 22 major fires in the state.
Gender reveal parties, in which expectant parents announce the gender of their soon-to-be-born babies, often feature elaborate ways of telling whether the baby is a boy or a girl.
In July 2019, one of the pioneers of the gender reveal movement said it was time to “re-evaluate” the practice and that her own daughter had started to explore her gender and challenge gender norms.
In April 2017, an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent, Dennis Dickey, caused $ 8 million in damage to 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres) of Arizona forest when he fired at a target filled with colored explosives. blue as a means of advertising gender. of your unborn child.
In October 2019, a woman was killed when a household device that was intended to discharge colored powder exploded at a gender reveal party in Iowa.
California has been dealing with wildfires that lasted for weeks and faced record temperatures over Labor Day weekend. On Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles County, the temperature reached a record 121F (49 C), according to the National Weather Service.
