Chico man found guilty of arson in Park Fire, one of California’s largest wildfires
A Chico man has been convicted for starting the Park Fire that burned more than 400,000 acres in Butte County.
On Friday, a Butte County judge found Ronnie Stout guilty on malicious arson charges in connection with the state’s fourth-largest wildfire. The conviction also includes enhancements for causing multiple structures to burn, and for having two previous convictions for serious and violent felonies under California’s Three Strikes Law.
He had a child molestation conviction from Butte County in 2001 and a theft conviction from Kern County in 2002.
The Park Fire started on July 24, 2024, off Upper Park Road in Bidwell Park, Chico and impacted parts of Butte and Tehama counties. It burned 429,603 acres and destroyed 713 structures, according to Cal Fire.
On the first day of the trial, prosecutors called several witnesses to testify. One woman said Stout approached her and her friends while drunk in Upper Bidwell Park in Chico shortly before the fire began.
Another witness testified that Stout hit a berm on the side of the road and got stuck, saying he was spinning the car’s wheels when black smoke and flames ignited. The witness said they then called 911.
Stout had claimed that his car was stuck in grass, and after it caught fire he was scared and left the area, the DA’s office previously said. He was seen leaving the scene and eventually arrested at his mobile home.
Stout’s attorney argued at the start of the trial that the prosecution couldn’t prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Stout started the fire maliciously.
Since this is Stout’s third strike under a California law that stiffens penalties for repeat serious and violent felonies, he will face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. The sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9.
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