The El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino County, California started because of a gender-reveal party, according to officials.
The fire department in San Bernardino County stated that a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was used at the party and sparked the fire.
Gender-reveal party gone wrong
The fire started on September 5 at 10:23 a.m PT at the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa and spread from the park north on to Yucaipa Ridge, according to the release.
The fire has grown to 8,600 acres as of September 7 and is just 7% contained, according to the San Bernardino National Forest. The video showed how chaotic the scene was.
Surveillance video from the gender-reveal party showed a couple with several children walking into the grass at the edge of the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa.
Another person is seen in the video appearing to light the firework. The family was then seen on the video scrambling and grabbing water bottles as the flames grow.
California Fire investigator Capt. Bennet Milloy said that what happened was a tragedy and that the family are hoping to remember the day in a different way. He said that 80% of fires are caused by humans and that people need to be more aware of their surroundings.
El Dorado Ranch Park is a popular destination for picture taking as the wild grasses turn golden and make a beautiful backdrop. Unfortunately, as the brush dries out, it makes it an easy target for wildfires.
Fire officials have refused to release the video to the media, citing that the incident is being investigated. The family involved in the gender reveal party, including the person who set off the device. The family and the person taking photos have been cooperating with fire investigators.
If the district attorney pursues the case, the person who started the pyrotechnic would be the person charged. Fire investigators have now identified three laws that have been violated during the incident. Some of the violations include arson and igniting the land.
The level of recklessness will determine whether those are filed as misdemeanours or felonies and based on that, penalties will be charged.
Dangers of gender reveal parties
In 2017, a gender-reveal party in Arizona sparked a wildfire that burned almost 47,000 acres, and it caused more than $8 million in damage, as reported by CNN.
The father, a US Border Patrol agent that was off-duty that day had packed the target with the explosive Tannerite and shot it with a high-powered rifle. He pleaded guilty in 2018 to a misdemeanour and was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay $8.2 million in restitution.
Communities surrounding the area had to evacuate because of the fire. Oak Glen, Mountain Home Village, Yucaipa Ridge and Forest Falls have been ordered to leave the area and were transferred to a temporary evacuation facility.
More than 600 personnel have been deployed to the fire, along with 60 engines, six helicopters and six aircraft, according to the California Fire website.
The El Dorado fire continued burning overnight due to the hot and dry weather. On September 7, the fire made a significant push downslope, as the structures in its path were impacted, according to the San Bernardino National Forest.
