DISTRIBUTION. MEREDITH: RIGHT NOW, A BURN B IS IN PLACE IN BREVARD COUNTY. FIREFIGHTERS SAY THEY’RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN BRUSH FIRES DUE TO THE LACK OF RAIN. JUST THIS SATURDAY, A 10 ACRE FIRE IN SOUTHERN BREVARD COUNTY BEGAN WHEN A GENDER REVEAL PARTY WAS MIXED WITH EXPLOSIVE THEY ARE ASKIN PEOPLE TO BE CAUTIOUS AND SAY THINGS LIKE THIS CREATE MORE PROBLEMS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. >> ESPECIALLY DURING ALL THESE POTENTIAL COVID RESPONSES AN MEDICAL RESPONSES, IT CAN QUICKLY OVERWHELM RESOURCES, AND BY THAT I MEAN IT WILL LEAVE NO RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO THOSE MEDICAL CALLS WHEN NEEDED. MEREDITH: THE BREVARD COUNTY BAN ON OPEN BURNING COMES WI
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Gender reveal sparked 10-acre brush fire, officials say
Updated: 9:51 AM EDT Mar 31, 2020
Even with a burn ban in place, fire officials in Florida have already seen an increase in fires, including a Saturday blaze that was reportedly sparked by a gender reveal celebration. “We were informed that it was caused by a gender reveal using Tannerite and a weapon,” said Brevard County Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer. “Something as seemingly innocent as a gender reveal, can turn into a large-scale disaster where homes are threatened.”Schollmeyer said people need to follow the rules of burn bans, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, which is straining resources. “Especially during all these potential COVID-19 responses and medical responses it can quickly overwhelm resources and by that I mean, it will leave no resources to respond to those medical calls when needed,” Schollmeyer said. “We want to prevent those wildfires started carelessly by let’s say fireworks, camp fires, open trash and burning, bonfires, those kind of incidents can escalate rapidly. The outdoor equipment utilizing internal combustion engines like ATVs, lawnmowers and the like, make sure they have a spark arrestor on them.”
Even with a burn ban in place, fire officials in Florida have already seen an increase in fires, including a Saturday blaze that was reportedly sparked by a gender reveal celebration.
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“We were informed that it was caused by a gender reveal using Tannerite and a weapon,” said Brevard County Fire Rescue Chief Mark Schollmeyer. “Something as seemingly innocent as a gender reveal, can turn into a large-scale disaster where homes are threatened.”
Schollmeyer said people need to follow the rules of burn bans, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, which is straining resources.
“Especially during all these potential COVID-19 responses and medical responses it can quickly overwhelm resources and by that I mean, it will leave no resources to respond to those medical calls when needed,” Schollmeyer said.
“We want to prevent those wildfires started carelessly by let’s say fireworks, camp fires, open trash and burning, bonfires, those kind of incidents can escalate rapidly. The outdoor equipment utilizing internal combustion engines like ATVs, lawnmowers and the like, make sure they have a spark arrestor on them.”
