Community Chat

[KingstonsMom]

A California wildfire which has so far destroyed 7,050 acres of land 40 miles northeast of Palm Springs was started by gender reveal party, it has emerged - leaving the family that hosted the party at risk of prison time and multi-million dollar fines.

Amid a record-breaking heatwave, with record temperatures of 121 degrees turning the state into a tinder box, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Sunday night that a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device caused the fire.

The devices are sometimes used to release blue or pink smoke to announce the gender of an expected baby.

The fire started on Saturday at 10:23am, they said, and 527 people from 10 fire crews are currently trying to halt the fire's progress.

It spread from the El Dorado Ranch Park north, onto the Yucaipa Ridge. The ridge separates Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls from the City of Yucaipa.

Bennet Milloy, spokesman for the department, told DailyMail.com that the people hosting the party were still on the scene when the firefighters arrived.

'We know how it started because they were still there,' he said. 'That, and the fact that there were surveillance cameras in the park.'

Milloy said that it was a relatively small family gathering, and that the relatives had gathered for a photo opportunity.

He did not know if they were local people, but he said they were potentially both civilly and criminally responsible for the fire - facing jail time and a massive fine. The family could be held responsible for the entire cost of putting the fire out, amounting to many millions of dollars, he said.

The civil costs were deemed 'suppression costs' - the charges associated with hundreds of fire fighters, engines, helicopters and planes.

The criminal charges could fall under 'a variety of charges', he said - which would be more severe if homes were destroyed. The family could be hit with violations of public resources codes and even arson, under California's penal code section 452. Arson convictions can result in a sentence of up to nine years.

Asked if the family realized the seriousness of their predicament, he said: 'They understood the seriousness of the fire.'

Milloy continued: 'They genuinely believed it was an accident.

'But I think now they understand the gravity of the situation.'

He did not have their names, but said they would be released if charges were pressed.

The fire has destroyed 7,050 acres of land in the 36 hours since it started, with 527 people fighting it.

[4kitties]

Good grief!

These "parties" for every aspect of life have just gotten out of hand........

[Anonymous032819]

I truly and sincerely hope that the dumb, stupid idiots are charged and have to pay a massive fine.

They deserve it.

what ever happened to cutting a cake to reveal a pink or blue interior?

Or for that matter, waiting until the kid is born to find out the sex?

Why does everything have to be such a big production?

[Cakers3]

It's too bad that those devices are not banned, regadless if purchased or homemade.

I doubt they will be responsible for millions of $$-there would be no way such a sum could ever be collected. 

I understanad why some want the reveal only in terms of what to buy for baby gifts before the birth but honestly a cake is enough.  

[CAcableGirl2]

@Anonymous032819   Exactly what I was thinking.....why does everything have to be a big production?

The air outside is horrible, full of smoke and I live hours away from this fire.  Not only does it affect others lives and homes who they are trying to save from the flames, and all the poor animals running from the fire, people who live miles and miles away are dealing with the awful air quality!  NO SYMPATHY FROM ME.

[songbird]

It's from Social Media.  I don't think they ever had those gender reveal parties.  They're kind of absurd.  But I'm from Europe and they don't even have baby showers (before the baby is born...I mean miscarriage/fetal death, etc)   It's kind of strange social practice.

[Annabellethecat66]

My daughter lives in Colorado.

She moved there from Virginia.  One of the first things she learned was that, for most of the time, Colorado can catch fire any time...any where.

She lived  in Virginia until then.  Virginia is very green with lots of rain.

Just a week ago I was complaining about all the rainy days here in Virginia.  She said, “Wow!  I wish Colorado would get some of that rain.  We are so dry, anything could set off a fire”.

I think it’s amazing that they can find the origins of these fires.

I always think of all the animals that probably died in these fires.

This goes way beyond...”Oh!  Whoops!”

It makes me sick to my stomach.

[noodleann]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

It's too bad that those devices are not banned, regadless if purchased or homemade.

I doubt they will be responsible for millions of $$-there would be no way such a sum could ever be collected. 

I understanad why some want the reveal only in terms of what to buy for baby gifts before the birth but honestly a cake is enough.  

---

Banning the devices won't work, but I suspect that fining the family millions of dollars for the result of what they did and possibly throwing them in jail as well will have a deterrent effect on other idiots. Whatever happens, a "my bad" apology is not going to cut it.

Once their names are released, though, they will be targeted--especially if this fire has cost people their homes. What a horrible way to bring new life into the world.

[mamaslittlepotato]

ANOTHER reason for me to HATE gender reveal parties!🙄 Stupid idiots!😡

[Witchy Woman]

@KingstonsMom 

This is so depressing.

It seems common sense is a thing of the past.  The idea that people would not understand the possible outcome of doing this is mind numbing.  

The damage is done now, but they should be held accountable in any way possible.

Good grief is right.