A California cookout appears to have gone horribly wrong after someone allegedly left a grill unattended near a trail in Napa. What started as a holiday barbecue quickly turned into a brush fire, leaving people online stunned by what they saw.
The video on Reddit shows an unattended grill sitting near the edge of a body of water as flames spread through the surrounding brush. Smoke fills the air as the fire continues to grow, with no one nearby tending to the grill.
Internet Reacts to the California Brush Fire
People in the comments didn’t hold back. Reddit users called the person responsible everything from careless to downright reckless. “People are so [expletive] dumb,” one person wrote. Another added, “‘It won’t happen to me, I’ll be careful.’ Said every [expletive] before acting dumb,” while someone else asked, “Did they seriously just leave it unattended?? Where is everyone?“
Many also hoped whoever was responsible would be identified and held accountable. “Does the person grilling have to pay damages to the county if they get found out?” one user asked. Another wrote, “This is unacceptable. Whoever was responsible for this should be forced to pay the full damages this is going to cause. What a moron.” Several commenters pointed out that the cleanup and damage could end up costing far more than the cookout itself.
According to one local commenter, whoever left the grill behind had plenty of warning. “I’m from the area and frequent that lake every once in a while. There is signage EVERYWHERE stating only propane fires,” the user wrote. Plenty of others joked that Smokey Bear’s fire safety campaign suddenly didn’t seem so unnecessary after all.
Several commenters also pointed out that while California wildfires are often blamed on arson, many start because of simple carelessness. To them, the video was another reminder that one bad decision can quickly turn into a much bigger problem.
Officials have not confirmed whether the blaze shown in the video is the same fire that was later reported to be 90% contained. Either way, the footage became another reminder of how quickly an unattended grill can create a dangerous situation, especially during California’s dry summer months. Judging by the comments, plenty of people think Smokey Bear’s message is still worth repeating.
