Gender Reveal Party Causes Wildfire in El Dorado, California
Apple Fire In Southern California Forces Evacuations CHERRY VALLEY, CA - AUGUST 01: Flames and heavy smoke approach on a western front of the Apple Fire, consuming brush and forest at a high rate of speed during an excessive heat warning on August 1, 2020 in Cherry Valley, California. The fire began shortly before 5 p.m. the previous evening, threatening a large number of homes overnight and forcing thousands to flee before exploding to 12,000 acres this afternoon, mostly climbing the steep wilderness slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains. David McNew

A supposed to be exciting gender-reveal became a frightening moment as it turned out to be the cause of wildfire burning in California.

Officials claim that one of the multiple wildfires in California started during a gender reveal party. In a press release, Cal Fire said that a "smoke-generating pyrotechnic device" used at a party sparked El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino County.

According to CNN, On Saturday, at 10:23 AM PT, the fire started at the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa and scattered from the park north on to Yucaipa Ridge. Then the fire grew to 8,600 acres as of Monday, and only 7% of the fire contained, as per San Bernardino National Forest.

Capt. Bennet Milloy, Cal fire investigator, told CNN affiliate KABC-TV that the family who hosted the gender reveal tried to stop the fire when it first ignited. "They tried to use water bottles, which in 4-foot high grass, you're never going to capture a grass fire with that," Capt. Milloy said.

As per KCAL-TV, The wildfire is still under investigation. The involved family who conducted the gender reveal face charges, including pyrotechnics and causing a fire recklessly.

The communities of Yucaipa Ridge, Oak Glen, Forest Falls, and Mountain Home Village were ordered to evacuate because of the uncontained fire. According to Cal Fire, an evacuation warning took effect for the Yucaipa Community Center and Yucaipa bench area.

More than 600 personnel are deployed to the fire area, six helicopters, and six aircraft along with sixty engines. The fire in eldorado continued burning overnight, but the fire made a significant push downslope on Monday as the fire affected structures in its path, as per the San Bernardino National Forest.

Patrick Patterson, a resident nearby the Oak Glen community, told KABC, "That place, there's nothing green out there. It's a meadow of dry, brown, dead grass. Why would you go out there and think that you can light off any firework? Smoke or otherwise. It all has fire."

On Monday evening, the national forest temporarily closed to all public use due to the threat from high fire danger, also due to firefighting resources spread to the limit, as per the US Forest Service. The seven other national forests in Central and Southern California will close to the public due to the "monumental fire threat."

Eldorado blaze has not yet announced any charges regarding the incident.

In 2017, a gender reveal party also sparked a wildfire in Arizona, which burned almost 47,000 acres and caused more than $8 million damage.An off-duty US Border Patrol agent was the expectant father. He packed the target with the explosive Tannerite with a high-powered rifle. In 2018, the father pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and sentenced five years probation. He was also ordered to pay almost $8.2 million in restitution.

A gender-reveal party for expectant parents is commonly an Instagram-friendly event held during pregnancy to reveal the gender of their baby. Friends and family usually witness the event. The gender reveal can be in the form of an explosion of color blue for a baby boy or pink for a baby girl.

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