A Gender Reveal Party Is To Blame For A Devastating Wildfire In California
The El Dorado fire has burnt through more than 7,000 hectares
A gender reveal party gone-wrong is to blame for a massive bushfire that has destroyed more than 7,000 hectares in California.
A state of emergency has been declared for several counties due to the El Dorado fire, which the local fire department said was started by “a smoke generating pyrotechnic device, used during a gender reveal party”.
The fire was lit just before 10.30am on Saturday (local time) in the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, and within hours around 3,000 residents had to be evacuated.
Yucaipa is located about 115km east of Los Angeles.
CAL FIRE Law Enforcement has determined the El Dorado Fire, burning near Oak Glen in San Bernardino County, was caused by a smoke generating pyrotechnic device, used during a gender reveal party. The fire began at… https://t.co/w62ZRuBdNJ
— CAL FIRE BDU (@CALFIREBDU) September 7, 2020
Fire crews in California have faced more than 900 new wildfires since August 15, burning more than 1.6 million acres. Eight people have died and nearly 3,300 structures have been destroyed.
On Sunday Los Angeles recorded its highest temperature since record-keeping began, hitting 49.5°C.
Californian residents have shared horrifying images of the smoke, which will no doubt trigger some memories for Australians who were on the front lines of our own bushfire disaster less than a year ago.
Updated Evacuation Order. North of Yucaipa Blvd. and east of Bryant. Please use caution and leave the area. #ElDoradoFire @CALFIREBDU pic.twitter.com/DOSKq4vS30
— Yucaipa Police (@YucaipaPD) September 6, 2020
#ElDoradoFire update:
– The acreage now stands at 7,050
– Containment remains at 5%(@CALFIREBDU photo from the Forest Falls area) pic.twitter.com/pj53uqcfEg
— San Bernardino National Forest (@SanBernardinoNF) September 7, 2020
Family member flying out of California this evening just sent along these photos from the flight. She said passengers could smell the smoke from the wildfires in the cabin. pic.twitter.com/ssHjcjzZwc
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) September 7, 2020
#creekfire county sheriff's and fire crews just escorted nearly 50 families from China Peak near in Sierra national forest. There was an attempted airlift by national guard helicopters, but the smoke and other factors prevented it. pic.twitter.com/Wr39YOdU3c
— Gillis Jones (@Gillis57) September 7, 2020
On the left, California at 11am this morning from satellite. On the right, the same shot at 7pm this evening. Shows you the enormous amount of smoke sent into the atmosphere from numerous fires that broke out today. #CreekFire #ValleyFire #ElDoradoFire pic.twitter.com/MQLTEAc5ha
— Drew Tuma (@DrewTumaABC7) September 6, 2020
EXTREME Fire behavior on the #ElDoradoFire created a fire whirl. pic.twitter.com/K3e9PeJ3Yx
— socalfirephoto.com (@SoCalFirePhoto) September 6, 2020
Given the seriousness of the situation in California at the moment the idea of bringing a pyrotechnic device into a national seems is a mind blowing idea — the fact that it was bought in for a gender reveal party makes the whole thing even more ridiculous.
A gender reveal party, of course, is a party that expectant parents throw to reveal the gender of their unborn child, so that people know what kind of social constructs to impose upon the child before they’re even alive. These parties also have a history of going wrong.
I’m not one for sweeping judgements, but everyone who has a gender reveal party is an idiot https://t.co/yF1Qp5y0OQ
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) September 7, 2020
If you didn't have "gender reveal party destroys large swath of the west coast" on your 2020 bingo card, then I just don't know what to tell you.
— Andrew Thaler (@DrAndrewThaler) September 7, 2020
THIS ISN'T EVEN IN FIRST TIME A GENDER REVEAL PARTY HAS DONE THIS
SOMEONE PLEASE STOP STRAIGHT PEOPLE OUR PLANET IS DYING https://t.co/GZ0PuJykXn
— Shel🐶🐾 (@workingdog_) September 7, 2020
This also happens to be at least the second gender reveal party to spark a wildfire in the US in the last three years.
Feature Image: Twitter/ @YucaipaPA