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Sawmill Fire (2017)

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The Sawmill Fire was a wildfire that burned 46,991 acres (190 km2) in the U.S. state of Arizona in April 2017. The fire was caused by the detonation of a target packed with Tannerite at a gender reveal party in the Coronado National Forest. No injuries or fatalities resulted from the fire, nor were any buildings destroyed, though the fire did come close to the historic Empire Ranch, a National Register of Historic Places property. Over 800 personnel from various federal, state, and local agencies and organizations worked to contain and then extinguish the Sawmill Fire at a cost of $8.2 million (equivalent to $10.2 million in 2023).

Sawmill Fire
Map of the Sawmill Fire on April 28, 2017
Date(s)April 23–30, 2017 (2017-04-23 – 2017-04-30)
LocationPima County, Arizona, US
Coordinates31°46′55″N 110°50′31″W / 31.782°N 110.842°W / 31.782; -110.842
Statistics
Burned area46,991 acres (19,017 ha; 73.423 sq mi)
Impacts
Damage$8.2 million (equivalent to $10.2 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseExplosion at gender reveal party
Map
Sawmill Fire (2017) is located in Arizona
Sawmill Fire (2017)
Sawmill Fire (2017) is located in the United States
Sawmill Fire (2017)

The fire was started by accident on April 23, 2017, by Dennis Dickey, an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent who had shot the Tannerite target. Dickey immediately informed first responders of the fire, which spread rapidly until it was contained on April 30. The U.S. Attorney's Office charged Dickey with a misdemeanor charge to which he pleaded guilty, fined him $220,000 in restitution (equivalent to $267,000 in 2023), and sentenced him to five years' probation. When the U.S. Forest Service released footage of the fire's inception in November 2018 at the request of a local news agency, the concept and practice of gender reveal parties became the subject of widespread ridicule and online mockery, a pattern repeated after later wildfires started at such events.

Background

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Wildfires are a natural part of the ecological cycle of the Southwestern United States.[1]: 3–6  The Sawmill Fire was one of 2,321 wildfires that burned 429,564 acres (173,838 ha) in Arizona in 2017.[2] Arizona State Forester Jeff Whitney expected a typical season in the state's northern forests but one with high fire potential in the state's southern grasslands because of high temperatures, low humidity, and an abundance of fuels.[3] By August 2017, wildfires had burned the most amount of land since the 2011 season.[4]

Cause

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The fire began at around 11 am (MST) on April 23, 2017,[5] in the Coronado National Forest, a state-owned property in south-central Arizona,[6] 26 miles (42 km) south of Tucson, Arizona.[7] The cause of the fire was a detonation at a gender reveal party hosted by the Dickey family of a target packed with blue dye to indicate the male gender of their child, and Tannerite,[8][9] a highly explosive substance,[10] by Dennis Dickey, an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent and the child's father. Dickey fired at the target four times, striking and detonating it with the fourth shot;[11] the explosion immediately set the nearby grass on fire.[8][9] According to his attorney, Dickey attempted to put out the fire but was unsuccessful because of the speed at which it was spreading.[12][13] Afterward, Dickey alerted law enforcement and admitted culpability for the fire,[14][15] and subsequently cooperated with authorities.[14]

Fire

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At the time the Sawmill Fire began, a fire warning for the area from the National Weather Service was in effect, as local wind speeds were as high as 40 miles per hour (64 km/h),[12] and precipitation was abnormally low for the region.[16] These conditions allowed the fire to spread quickly,[7][17] and by the time elements of the Green Valley Fire Department arrived at 11:11 am (MDT), the Sawmill Fire had grown to 300 acres (120 ha) and was spreading to the north and east.[17] Firefighters began to attempt suppression of the fire, which was difficult in the rough terrain of the Santa Rita Mountains. By April 24, the fire had consumed about 7,500 acres (3,000 ha), despite the assistance of five airtankers and three helicopters carrying water.[18] That night,[19] the fire crossed and damaged Arizona State Route 83,[20] which runs south through the Coronado National Forest and had been closed earlier that day,[21] and headed east across the Santa Rita Mountains.[13][19]

 
The burn scar of the Sawmill Fire seen from satellite on April 26

As the fire continued to spread, about 100 area residents were evacuated and 100 others east of Route 83 received pre-evacuation notices.[19][22][23] The local chapter of the American Red Cross opened two shelters in Sonoita and Tucson on April 24 and 25,[19][24] but they were almost totally unused[20] and were closed on April 29.[25] By April 25, 363 first responders were fighting the Sawmill Fire,[26] which had grown to 17,000–20,000 acres (6,900–8,100 ha)[27] because of continued low humidity and high winds that made aerial firefighting impossible.[19][22] Winds subsided the night of April 25–26,[28][29] allowing the now approximately 600 firefighters present to halt the southern spread of the fire near Empire Ranch,[20][30] where flames came as close as 50 feet (15 m) to the ranch's historic buildings.[31] The fire's area nonetheless doubled to 40,356 acres (16,331 ha) and conditions were expected to worsen because of a storm system in northern Arizona.[20][29] Arizona State Route 83 and Interstate 10 were closed on April 27.[30]

By 11:00 am (MST) April 27,[32] the Sawmill Fire had burned 46,954 acres (19,002 ha), and efforts to suppress it had by then cost $1 million (equivalent to $1.2 million in 2023[33]).[15] About 800 firefighters were present and made progress containing the fire with firebreaks on April 28 and 29,[21][32][34] despite aircraft again being grounded by the wind.[16] Route 83 was reopened and evacuation orders for people to its west were lifted on April 27.[32] Despite winds as fast as 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) on April 28,[15][21] the fire was fully contained and all evacuation orders were lifted by April 30.[35][36] The firefighters were demobilized on May 1.[37]

Aftermath

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The Sawmill Fire burned 46,991 acres (19,017 ha) over 11 days,[38]: 7  growing to its greatest extent on April 29,[5][39] and cost $8.2 million (equivalent to $10.2 million in 2023[33]) to suppress.[38]: 7 [5] The state-owned Santa Rita Experimental Range and Wildlife Area and the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area (LCNCA), managed by the Bureau of Land Management, made up most of the burned area;[13][40] 28% of the LCNCA, roughly 12,000 acres (4,900 ha), was burned and was closed from April 28 to May 23.[41][42] Of the total area burned, about a third of it suffered total foliage mortality, concentrated in the west. 412 people were evacuated,[38]: 7  but there were no fatalities, serious injuries, or buildings destroyed.[12][13] After repairs to Route 83, it reopened in early May 2017.[35][43]

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The investigation and prosecution of the Sawmill Fire were turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office in August 2017 as, though the fire started on the property of the State of Arizona, federal property had been burned.[44] On September 20, 2018, Dickey was charged with starting a fire without a permit,[6] a misdemeanor offense,[14] and was summoned to appear at the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on September 29.[45] He pleaded guilty to the charge,[14][46] saying that the fire was an accident and that April 23, 2017, was "one of the worst days of [his] life".[47][48] On October 9, 2018,[46][49] Dickey was sentenced to five years' probation[8][14] and agreed to pay the cost of the fire in restitution.[13][14][48] This was reduced to $220,000 by a federal court in October 2018 (equivalent to $267,000 in 2023[33]).[12][49] Dickey also agreed to appear in a public service announcement for the USFS regarding the fire.[8][14]

In July 2017, lawmakers in Pima County proposed the ban of the possession, creation, and distribution of explosive targets in response to the Sawmill Fire and other fires caused by exploding targets.[50] Footage of Dickey shooting the target became public when, in November 2018,[9] the Arizona Daily Star acquired it via a Freedom of Information Act request.[11][51] The video brought the fire back into the public consciousness, resulting in both the party itself and the concept of gender reveal parties being mocked online.[52][53][54] The Sawmill Fire was the first wildfire known to be ignited by a gender reveal party,[47] but was not the last, as it was followed in 2020 by the El Dorado Fire in California, which sparked more public outrage.[55][56][57]

References

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  1. ^ Pyne, Stephen J. (2016). The Southwest: A Fire Survey. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 9780816534487.
  2. ^ "National Report of Wildland Fires and Acres Burned by State" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  3. ^ Jeong, Yihyun (April 11, 2017). "What to expect for Arizona's 2017 wildfire season". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Ziegler, Zachary (August 31, 2017). "Looking Back on Fire Season in Arizona, and Places Touched by the Flames". Arizona Public Media. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Sawmill Fire". InciWeb. U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Smith, Kim (September 28, 2018). "Border Patrol agent pleads guilty to starting Sawmill Fire". Nogales International. Green Valley News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Gomez, Melissa (October 1, 2018). "Border Patrol Agent's Gender-Reveal Party Sparked Arizona Fire, Lawyer Says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d Diaz, Andrea (November 28, 2018). "Officials release video from gender reveal party that ignited a 47,000-acre wildfire". CNN. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Rosenblatt, Kalhan (November 27, 2018). "U.S. Forest Service releases video of Arizona gender reveal that sparked $8 million Sawmill Fire". NBC. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
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  11. ^ a b Davis, Tony (December 7, 2018). "Longer video shows missed shots before 'gender reveal' target was hit, sparking wildfire". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d Prendergast, Curt (October 5, 2018). "Border agent to pay $220K for Tucson-area wildfire sparked at gender-reveal party". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
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  22. ^ a b "High Winds Fanning Sawmill Fire - Evacuations and Road Closures in Place". InciWeb. U.S. Forest Service. April 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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  25. ^ "American Red Cross Closes Both Sawmill Fire Shelters". Arizona Emergency Information Network. State of Arizona. April 29, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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  28. ^ "Aerial operations should benefit from moderated winds on the Sawmill Fire". InciWeb. U.S. Forest Service. April 26, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  29. ^ a b "Red Flag Warning will return to the Sawmill Fire on Thursday". Arizona Emergency Information Network. State of Arizona. April 26, 2017. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  30. ^ a b "Type 1 Incident Management Team assumes command of the Sawmill Fire". Arizona Emergency Information Network. State of Arizona. April 26, 2017. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  31. ^ Kreutz, Douglas (October 29, 2017). "Learn how the historic Empire Ranch survived a raging wildfire". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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  34. ^ "Increased containment despite strong winds". InciWeb. U.S. Forest Service. April 29, 2017. Archived from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  35. ^ a b "Excellent progress continues on the Sawmill Fire". InciWeb. U.S. Forest Service. April 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  36. ^ "Sawmill Fire now 89 percent contained". Arizona Emergency Information Network. State of Arizona. April 29, 2017. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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  40. ^ Davis, Tony (May 3, 2017). "Fire's ash may pose hazard to wildlife in conservation area near Tucson". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  41. ^ Davis, Tony (May 3, 2017). "Fire's ash may pose hazard to wildlife in conservation area near Tucson". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  42. ^ "Notice of re-opening portions of public lands within Las Cienegas National Conservation Area". Bureau of Land Management. May 23, 2017. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  43. ^ "SR 83 repairs complete, restrictions lifted after Sawmill Fire". Arizona Emergency Information Network. State of Arizona. May 3, 2017. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  44. ^ Davis, Tony (August 8, 2017). "Sawmill Fire inquiry is turned over to U.S. Attorney's Office". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  45. ^ Davis, Tony (September 26, 2018). "Arizona Border Patrol agent is charged with starting 47,000-acre wildfire". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  46. ^ a b Rosenblatt, Kalhan (October 1, 2018). "Border Patrol agent pleads guilty to starting wildfire in gender reveal gone wrong". NBC. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  47. ^ a b Farzan, Antonia Noori (October 1, 2018). "A Border Patrol agent threw a gender-reveal party. He ended up starting a 47,000-acre wildfire". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  48. ^ a b Gonzalez, Susan (October 1, 2018). "An off-duty Border Patrol agent started a 47,000-acre fire with a gender reveal party". KGUN-TV. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  49. ^ a b Freeman, Charity (October 9, 2018). "Border Patrol agent sentenced for Sawmill fire". KVOA. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  50. ^ Woodhouse, Murphy (July 11, 2017). "County eyes ban on exploding targets after Sawmill Fire". Arizona Daily Star. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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  57. ^ Williamson, Alex (June 10, 2021). "Your gender reveal parties are an eco-disaster". Mic. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
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