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 Wednesday pushing his burning car into a ditch in Upper Bidwell Park near the city of Chico, the Butte County Prosecutor’s Office said.
The vehicle then fell 60 feet (18 meters) down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that burned more than 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) in Northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations.
Stout was reportedly seen leaving the scene of the accident, mingling with park goers as the fire quickly spread.
Authorities eventually identified the suspect early Thursday morning and took him into custody.
Ronnie Stout II, 42, was caught Wednesday pushing his burning car into a ditch in upper Bidwell Park, near the city of Chico
He was subsequently booked into the Butte County Jail, where he is being held without bail, the DA’s office said.
Stout was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2001 after pleading guilty to sexual offenses against a child under 14 and robbery with grievous bodily harm.
Since Stout has two prior convictions, he could face up to life in prison if found guilty under California’s Three Strikes and You’re Out law.
Footage of the fire shows a house exploding as flames engulf the surrounding area.
The vehicle then fell 60 feet (18 meters) down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that burned more than 170,000 acres (71,000 hectares) in Northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations.
The Park Fire destroyed more than 195 square miles near the city of Chico
The Park Fire destroyed an area of over 500 square miles near the city of Chico.
More than 4,000 people were evacuated in Butte County and the city of Chico, according to Megan McMann, spokesperson for the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
By Friday morning, the fire had already destroyed more than 164,000 hectares.
At least 134 buildings were destroyed, but no injuries were reported.
Cal Fire-Butte County reported that about 4,200 structures are threatened.
Images of the fire show a house exploding as the area is enveloped in flames
Fire whirls are intensely rotating columns of gas and flame.
A combination of a cold front moving across the province and several days of dry, warm weather created ideal conditions for the fire tornado.
Windy conditions on Friday are making it more difficult for firefighters to battle the flames.
A combination of a cold front moving across the province and several days of dry, warm 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, meteorologists warn that wind gusts could reach up to 30 mph (48 km/h), pushing the fire north.
The fire in the park is the largest in California since the 2021 Caldor Fire, which destroyed 1,000 structures in the Sierra Crest and Tahoe Basin, a forest that had not burned in more than a century.