Gender Reveal Party Sparks Massive California Wildfire

In the midst of a history-making heatwave in California, a massive wildfire was sparked after a pyrotechnic device was set off at a gender reveal party.

The currently-burning El Dorado fire began when revelers set off the "smoke-generating" device at a park in Yucaipa, located between Los Angeles and Palm Springs in southern California's San Bernardino County. The family that set off the device alerted authorities, stayed at the scene, and said the fire, which quickly spread north thanks to dry weather and 100+ degree temperatures, was unintentional, reports Deadline. Whether accidental or not, the family could be held criminally or financially responsible for the blaze, which has burned around 7,000 acres.

Many such gender reveal parties, which ostensibly indicate the biological gender of an unborn child, often include pink or blue pyrotechnics. Such events -- which many LGBTQ+ people consider outdated and stigmatizing -- have led to fires, explosions, injuries, and death.

Numerous wildfires are currently burning throughout California as high temperatures sear the state; eight people have died from the fires, according to reports.