California

California Wildfires Mostly Manmade; Accidents Outweigh Arson, Authorities Say

A suspect has been charged with arson in Northern California’s raging Park fire, but accidents account for 95 percent of wildfires, Cal Fire said.
California Wildfires Mostly Manmade; Accidents Outweigh Arson, Authorities Say
Flames quickly grow as firefighters set a backfire on the eastern front of the Park Fire near Chico, Calif., on July 28, 2024. David McNew/Getty Images
Summer Lane
|Updated:
0:00
On July 24, a man was seen pushing a flaming car into a gully near Alligator Hole in Bidwell Park in Chico, California, starting the fourth-biggest fire in state history, the Park fire, which has consumed more than 620 square miles in Northern California.
The suspect, Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, was arrested last week by Cal Fire arson investigators on suspicion of starting the devastating fire and fleeing shortly after, according to a statement from the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.
Summer Lane
Summer Lane
Author
Summer Lane is the bestselling author of 30 adventure books, including the hit "Collapse Series." She is a reporter and writer with years of experience in journalism and political analysis. Summer is a wife and mother and lives in the Central Valley of California.