It is currently Fire Season in California, and these fires are impacting thousands, even millions of people’s lives. In one particular family’s case, the fires will be having a bittersweet meaning for the rest of their lives. One of the two dozen fires currently blazing throughout California was the fault of a family’s gender reveal party.

Gender reveal parties are events hosted with the intent to share the gender of their baby. Traditionally, many would share this “critical information” during baby showers but some families appear to be catching onto this trend. It has become common practice for many to use pyrotechnic devices to share their baby’s gender. Some think of these parties as overdramatic and unnecessary, but a few consider them “quirky” and “different.” This family living in El Dorado clearly enjoyed the idea of a spectacle.

In a video caught by video surveillance during the event, the party had eagerly watched as a man lit a small device. The device was only supposed to let out a colored smoke: pink if the baby was a girl, and blue if the baby was a boy. However, in only a matter of  minutes, the video displays the party members rushing to grab water bottles. The innocent act of revealing a baby’s gender quickly led to a fire growing and spreading to the dry grass on the ground. The fire became one of the many current California fires and has grown to cover 14,000 acres (As of September 12). From there, it is history.

Humans create 80% of wildfires, and this clearly attests to that. It is important to be cautious when handling fire hazards, but now it’s even more important than ever. With 12 dozen current raging wildfires, it appears uncertain whether or not California can handle more of these disasters. 

by Nathan Park