Gender Reveal Gone Wrong – Video Reveals Cause of 2017 Sawmill Fire
Due to a Freedom of Information request made by the Arizona Daily Star, the United States Forest Service has released the video documenting the cause of the massive Sawmill Fire last year. As stated by the law, such materials are to be provided to the media if a request is made.
The cause has been revealed to be a gender reveal that wasn’t well thought out. The idea was that Dennis Dickey, 37, hailing from Tucson, would fire a shot at his target (a box with boy/girl written on it). After it lands, there would be an eruption of coloured smoke (either pink or blue) to convey the gender of the baby his wife was carrying.
Off duty at the time, Dickey, a Border Patrol agent, took aim and shot at the target. As can be seen in the video, for a brief moment, the air was coloured by blue smoke. However, due to the presence of Tannerite (an explosive) in the substance, the blue dissipated only to be replaced by flames. Tannerite’s involvement has also been found in other wildfires in the western region.
Also visible in the video is the setting, a field of dry grass surrounded by grasslands and shrubs. After the fire breaks out, two figures are caught on screen. One runs across the screen, while the other moves closer to the fire only to then run in the opposite direction. For the sake of preserving their privacy, both individuals are blacked out in the available video. Toward the end, there is also a male voice that can be heard shouting, “Start packing up!”
The fire caused by this recklessness raged for a week in April 2017. Up to 47,000 acres of land were affected, including parts of the Coronado National Forest. The fire was successfully contained through the help of 800 firefighters. However, more than 100 people were displaced. The entire amount of damages has been totalled to $8.2 million.
In September, Dickey pled guilty for this event under the charge of causing a fire without permit (misdemeanour). He was sentenced to five years’ probation and will also be required to pay for the damages with an initial payment of $100,000 and an additional payment of $120,000 over monthly instalments. However, some reports indicate that he’ll pay $220,000 in monthly instalments instead.