It seems like every few weeks, a new article or alert comes up with news of yet ANOTHER California forest fire. And this week, some idiots ill-advised Californians accidentally caused a forest fire due to their botched gender reveal party. On Saturday morning, these parents-to-be set out for El Dorado Ranch Park and accompanying them, other than their friends, was a pyrotechnic device (or a smoke bomb) that would launch blue or pink smoke into the air depending on the baby’s gender. Smoke bomb in hand, they found a nice spot amongst the dry, four-foot-tall wild grasses in El Dorado Ranch Park, where their gender reveal party commenced.
Now, any sane person with the gift of common sense could predict what happened next, but unfortunately, this couple did not. The smoke bomb ignited and with it the surrounding grasses, which quickly spread throughout California’s dry, dehydrated landscape. Since Saturday, the fire has destroyed over 10,000 acres of land, but thankfully no lives have been harmed. California fire authorities say that the fire is only 16% contained, but Monday brought minimal wind which has significantly helped the firefighters.
What bothers me so much about this whole debacle is the sheer idiocy and lack of common sense this couple displayed. They must have been aware, to some extent, of the risk that comes with igniting a smoke bomb amidst dry grasses, and this really demonstrates how mindless and inconsiderate people can be in this day and age. To put your already decaying environment at risk just to throw a gender reveal party, just to notify everyone with a smoke bomb what could easily be communicated using WORDS, is just so ridiculous to me. From what the news reported, the family responsible may be obligated to pay restitution for their damages, which could (and hopefully will) amount to millions. Pending investigation, those responsible might even face criminal charges. Is that enough of a reprimand for a couple that set tens of thousands of acres of nature preserve ablaze, just for a gender reveal party? I completely understand that it was an accident, but I think this couple needs to be held accountable for their mindless and inconsiderate actions. Do you think a punishment of criminal charges and paying reparations is too harsh or not harsh enough?
I see you used the crossing-out-the-word trick lol... The story is awful though. It reminds me of a great Albert Einstein quote, "Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe."
ReplyDeleteI don't understand these elaborate gender reveal parties that have explosions anyways - especially in CA where literally anything will just burst into flames. I think they should be held accountable - it's impossible for them to pay for all the damages but they should really be made into an example... In any event this kid is already doomed to be hated by the entire West coast.
ReplyDeleteImportant follow up question: was it a boy or a girl though?