It's a ... $220,000 fine and five years probation!
As if paying for diapers and formula isn't enough, an Arizona father now has to pay hundreds of thousands in restitution after he accidentally started a fire during a party held to reveal the sex of his unborn baby. In April 2017, on a day when winds in the Tucson area were gusting at 40 mph, Dennis Dickey shot a "high-velocity firearm" at a target containing an explosive substance called Tannerite. Dickey shot the target because it contained powder that was going to explode blue if his wife was having a boy or pink if she was having a girl, Dickey's attorney, Sean Chapman, told the Arizona Daily Star.
This sparked a wildfire, which became known as the Sawmill Fire. The blaze ultimately charred 47,000 acres, and nearly 800 firefighters were called out to fight it. The fire cost $8.2 million but did not result in any injuries or property damage. Dickey pleaded guilty last week to a misdemeanor charge of causing a fire without a permit, and will pay $100,000 in restitution when he's sentenced on Oct. 9, and another $120,000 in monthly installments of $500. He said the wildfire was "a complete accident. I feel absolutely horrible about it. It was probably one of the worst days of my life." Chapman said he believes Dickey will be able to keep his job as a Border Patrol agent.
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