Man Accused Of Starting Massive California Wildfire Appears In Court, Faces Arson Charges

Ronnie Dean Stout II, the man who is accused of starting the sixth-largest wildfire in California's history, appeared in court on Monday. Stout faces arson charges for allegedly igniting the Park Fire last week.

A felony complaint, filed Monday, accuses him of pushing a burning car down a 60-foot embankment. Stout, however, denies pushing the car. He did not enter a plea and was denied bail, with his arraignment continued to Thursday. Additional charges may follow, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

“This didn’t have to happen,” District Attorney Ramsey said. He detailed the events leading to the Park Fire, alleging Stout's actions were reckless. Witnesses reported Stout drinking heavily before the incident and driving recklessly. Stout allegedly started the fire when his car got stuck in tall grass. Some people said that they saw him near the fire but not attempting to extinguish it. Despite Stout's partial admission, he denies pushing the car. Investigators found alcohol in his system upon arrest but cannot confirm his intoxication at the time of the fire.

The Park Fire, which began Wednesday, has scorched over 370,000 acres in just six days, making it the sixth-largest wildfire in California's history. While firefighters are still struggling to contain the massive fire, Cal Fire reported that the blaze has destroyed 111 structures while damaging six others across Butte and Tehama counties and only 12% of it has been contained. Cal Fire officials praised the progress of aerial and ground crews in combating the flames.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 94 large active wildfires across the US, mostly in the West, including 33 in Oregon, and 12 in California. These fires cover over 2 million acres. The agency emphasizes the importance of an "initial attack" on new fires to contain them quickly. As fires continue to rage, gusty winds and heat are expected to increase fire risks. Temperatures could reach 10 to 15 degrees above normal in parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies.

The fires have caused smoke to drift across hundreds of miles, prompting air quality alerts in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. More alerts are expected.

In Canada, the Jasper Wildfire Complex in Alberta remains out of control, burning nearly 80,000 acres in Jasper National Park. Around 17,000 people have evacuated. The Durkee Fire in Oregon, started by lightning, has burned nearly 290,000 acres and is 49% contained. Evacuations are also underway in Colorado due to the Alexander Mountain fire, which has burned 864 acres and is 0% contained.