A California sex offender has been arrested for allegedly starting a 160,000-acre wildfire, the state’s largest this year.
Ronnie Stout II, 42, was caught pushing his burning car into a ravine at the top of Bidwell Park near the city of Chico on Wednesday, the Butte County District Attorney’s Office announced.
The vehicle then plunged 60 feet down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that engulfed more than 71,000 acres of Northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations.
Stout was reportedly seen leaving the site and mingling with park visitors as the fire spread rapidly.
Authorities finally identified the suspect early Thursday morning and took him into custody.
Ronnie Stout II, 42, was caught pushing his burning car into a ravine in Upper Bidwell Park near the city of Chico on Wednesday.
He was then booked into the Butte County Jail, where he is being held without bail, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Stout was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sexual offences against a child under 14 in 2001 and robbery causing great bodily harm.
Because he has two prior convictions, Stout could be sent to prison for life if convicted under the three-strikes law and is outside of California.
Footage from the fire shows a house exploding as the area is surrounded by flames.
The vehicle then plunged 60 feet down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that engulfed more than 71,000 acres of Northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations.
The park fire burned more than 195 square miles near the city of Chico
The Park Fire burned more than 195 square miles near the city of Chico.
More than 4,000 people were evacuated in Butte County and the city of Chico, said Megan McMann, a spokeswoman for the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
As of Friday morning, the fire had burned more than 164,000 acres.
At least 134 structures have been destroyed but there are no reports of injuries.
Cal Fire-Butte County had said up to 4,200 structures were threatened.
Footage from the fire shows a house exploding as the area is surrounded by flames.
“Fire whirls” are columns of gas and flames that rotate intensely.
The combination of a cold front passing through the province and several days of hot, dry weather created the perfect conditions for the fire tornado.
Windy conditions on Friday are making it difficult for firefighters to fight the blaze.
A combination of a cold front passing through the province and several days of hot, dry weather created the perfect conditions for the fire tornado.
The park fire is the largest in California since the 2021 Caldor fire
The National Weather Service has issued a warning for the northern Sacramento Valley.
Meanwhile, forecasters warn that wind gusts could reach up to 30 mph and push the fire north.
The park fire is the largest in California since the 2021 Caldor fire, which destroyed 1,000 structures as it burned across the Sierra Crest and into the Tahoe Basin, scorching a forest that had not seen flames in more than a century.