NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A fire that began Wednesday in Chico’s Bidwell Park has grown massively over the past day, and authorities said Thursday they have arrested a Chico man they believe is responsible for causing the fire.

The Park fire was first reported just before 3 p.m. Wednesday off Upper Park Road in Upper Bidwell Park, east of Chico.

On Wednesday night the fire had been reported to be more than 6,500 acres, an estimate that was up to more than 45,000 acres by Thursday morning.

By Thursday afternoon, officials said the fire was at 71,489 acres, with containment remaining at 3%.

At around 6 p.m., Cal Fire said the fire had grown to 124,949 acres, with no increased containment.

Fire officials said Thursday that the blaze continues to move quickly, with the priority placed on protecting communities. It has moved into Tehama County and is expected to impact the Cohasset area near Chico on Thursday night.

On Thursday, the Butte County District Attorney’s Office said a 42-year-old Chico man was arrested by Cal Fire arson investigators and booked on suspicion of intentionally starting the Park fire.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a Thursday afternoon briefing that Ronnie Dean Stout II was arrested at 2 a.m. Thursday after his home in a mobile home park was surrounded by investigators with Cal Fire and the District Attorney’s Office authorities, who told him to come out with his hands up over a loudspeaker.

“He did and he was arrested at that time,” said Ramsey.

Stout is being held on a no-bail arrest warrant issued by a judge early Thursday and will remain in the Butte County Jail without bail until he’s arraigned on Monday afternoon. Ramsey said charges haven’t yet been filed due to the ongoing investigation, but he expects Stout to be charged with a count of arson. Ramsey said additional counts could be added at that time.

Ramsey said the evidence that led authorities to Stout was that a witness saw Stout near Alligator Hole in upper Bidwell Park. He was next to a vehicle, which turned out to belong to his mother.

The witness saw a fire start under the front left of the car, and felt Stout’s activity was strange because he was doing nothing other than watching the fire.

Ramsey said the witness saw Stout get into the vehicle and do something before getting back out and pushing the flaming vehicle down a 60-foot embankment into a gulley, where the Park fire began.

Authorities said Stout was then seen calmly leaving the area by blending in with the other citizens who were in the area and fleeing the rapidly evolving fire.

Ramsey’s office said Cal Fire arson investigators responded immediately, secured the scene, and began to search for clues to Stout’s identity.

Stout has two prior strikes, Ramsey said. The first was for a conviction in Butte County in 2001 for lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14.

The Megan’s Law database shows that Stout is a registered sex offender.

Ramsey said Stout’s second conviction was in 2002 in Kern County for robbery with great bodily injury.

In 2003, as a result of the convictions, Stout was sent to state prison for 20 years. “We do not know how long he spent in state prison at this time but we do know he was out and up in Upper Bidwell Park when he was arrested for a DUI in 2020,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey said the investigation is ongoing and anyone who has information or was in the
Alligator Hole area between the hours of noon and 3 p.m. Wednesday is encouraged to call Cal Fire investigations at 530-538-7888.

Evacuations and resources

The Park fire has prompted a broad swath of evacuations in Butte and Tehama counties. The evacuation areas can be seen here.

Officials continue to urge people to take evacuation orders seriously and to get out while it’s safe to do so.

Cal Fire said the Park fire displayed “dynamic fire activity overnight,” with winds remaining a factor and the temperature staying in the 80s.

The agency said three helicopters were available for night operations, and they took advantage and spent the night finding hot spots to drop water on.

Thursday saw more hot, dry weather with a steady breeze from the south again. Cal Fire said its Incident Management Team 3 was taking command of the fire on Thursday.

Resources assigned to the fire also grew by Thursday, with 1,153 personnel, six helicopters, 153 engines, 41 dozers, 10 water tenders, 40 crews and 22 other resources assigned.

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