An off duty Border Patrol agent named Dennis has agreed to pay $220,000 in restitution over a gender reveal stunt that sparked a massive wildfire in Arizona, according to the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.
The incident happened on April 23, 2017. Dennis filled a target with colored powder, pink for a girl or blue for a boy, to reveal the sex of his and his wife’s baby. The target also contained Tannerite, a legal but highly explosive substance that, according to U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Brent Robinson, is designed to detonate when hit by a high velocity firearm round.
When Dennis shot the target with his rifle, it ignited a fire that spread quickly through dry grassland in southern Arizona. Authorities say the fire burned about 47,000 acres and caused more than $8 million in damage before it was fully put out over a week later.
In an affidavit, Robinson said Dennis immediately reported the fire to law enforcement, cooperated and admitted he started it.
Dennis was charged with violating U.S. Forest Service regulations by causing a fire without a permit, a misdemeanor. Under his plea agreement, he is to pay $100,000 in restitution at sentencing and another $120,000 in monthly installments of $500 over 20 years, and he is also expected to receive five years of probation, the Daily Star reports.
“It was a complete accident,” Dennis said. “I feel absolutely horrible about it. It was probably one of the worst days of my life.”
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