California Man Pushes Flaming Car Into Ravine, Starts 145,000-Acre Fire Near Chico

Northern California’s massive Park Fire continued to grow overnight, fueled by wind and dry, hot weather. The wildfire, which authorities believe was an act of arson, reached more than 145,000 acres by late Thursday and was only 3 percent contained. It is California’s largest this year. Butte County fire chief Garrett Sjolund told a news conference Thursday that the fire “quickly began to outpace our resources because of the dry fuels, the hot weather, the low humidity, and the wind.” Gusty winds and dry conditions were predicted for the region until at least late Friday, with a National Weather Service Red Flag warning for critical fire weather conditions in effect.

The fire started about 3 p.m. Wednesday and “exploded from a 400-acre fire to a more than 71,000-acre inferno consuming everything in its path” overnight into Thursday, Cal Fire said on social media. By late Thursday it was burning across more than 145,000 acres in Butte and Tahoma counties and had produced several fire tornadoes.

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District Attorney Michael L. Ramsey said Chico resident Ronnie Stout, 42, would be arraigned Monday on to-be-determined charges related to arson. Investigators allege a witness saw him pushing a flaming car off an embankment in upper Bidwell Park, starting the blaze. “She saw him get into the vehicle, do something in the vehicle, get out of the vehicle, and then push the flaming vehicle down the embankment,” Ramsey told reporters. “ … We are here today because of that.” He said the vehicle was Stout’s mother’s car. Stout was arrested early Thursday on a no-bail warrant, Ramsey said.

Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea urged residents and visitors to pay close attention to authorities’ warnings. “This county has seen time and time again where people have waited too long and they have lost their lives,” he said. The area was devastated by the nearly 1 million acre Dixie Fire in 2021 and the 153,000 acre Camp Fire in 2018, which killed 85, the deadliest wildfire in California history.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/07/26/park-fire-california-chico-arrest/