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Man accused of setting park fire pleads guilty to arson charge

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The man accused of starting the Park Fire appeared in court Thursday to plead guilty to charges that he intentionally set the approximately 430,000-acre blaze.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico pleaded not guilty in Butte County Superior Court, his third court appearance since his arrest early on the morning of July 25 at his mother's home in Chico.

Stout is due back in court on September 19 to set a date for a preliminary hearing on the arson charge against him.

Stout was in Upper Bidwell Park near Chico when he allegedly got his car stuck on a rock just before 3 p.m. on July 24. According to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, he started a grass fire underneath the vehicle while trying to free the car (a 2007 Toyota Yaris).

Eventually he managed to free the vehicle and push it over the edge of an embankment. When the car landed at the bottom of the ravine, it caught fire, Ramsey said.

Witnesses told investigators that Stout did not attempt to put out the fire or warn others about the fire, Ramsey said. Instead, he quietly walked away from the area, he said.

Stout told investigators that the fire was accidental and that he became frightened after the fire started and left the area, Ramsey said.

At his first court appearance, Judge Kristen Lucena would not allow Stout to be released from jail on bail. If found guilty of arson and related special charges, he could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, Ramsey said.

More: 'Unbelievable': Fire truck stolen in Redding while working on park fire

From its origin near Chico, the fire spread quickly, burning nearly 170,000 acres in two days. As of Thursday, the fire had burned 429,460 acres, making it the fourth-largest fire in California history. The fire also destroyed 637 structures and damaged another 49, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

At one point, more than 6,000 people were deployed to fight the fire. According to Cal Fire, only 3,358 people remained on duty by Thursday.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, public agencies had spent $251 million on firefighting as of Thursday.

In an update on the status of the fire on Thursday, Cal Fire said: “There has been minimal activity on the fire, with islands within the fire perimeter continuing to burn throughout the night. Containment efforts continue to progress.”

The fire has been 61 percent contained and all roads that were closed near the fire are open again, Cal Fire said.

There were also concerns that flash flooding could occur in the fire area, as rain showers were expected Friday afternoon into Saturday morning.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, via email at [email protected] and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Support local journalism by subscribing today!

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