(FOX40.COM) — A man was found guilty Friday of starting the fourth-largest wildfire in California history.
Ronnie Dean Stout II was convicted of arson after a judge found that he willfully and maliciously sparked the Park Fire near Upper Bidwell Park in Chico exactly two years ago, on July 24, 2024.
Over the course of two months, the Park Fire burned 429,603 acres across Butte and Tehama counties and destroyed more than 700 structures.
It was California’s largest wildfire of 2024.
The fire started after Stout pushed a burning car down an embankment into the park. Stout, a Chico resident, was arrested on July 25 — a day after starting the fire — by Cal Fire arson investigators.
More than 6,500 total personnel from multiple states contributed to fighting the massive wildfire, including 40 helicopters, 525 fire engines and 134 hand crews.
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