The man accused of causing the Park Fire had his first appearance in court on Monday and is being charged with reckless arson along with several enhancements.

The man accused of causing the Park Fire in Northern California had his first appearance in court on Monday and is being charged with reckless arson along with several enhancements.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, was arrested Thursday in connection to the Park Fire, which has burned hundreds of thousands of acres and impacted four counties.

As detailed by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office, a man was seen pushing a car that was on fire down into a gully near Alligator Hole in upper Bidwell Park—allegedly spreading the flames that would become the Park Fire.

During the hearing, Stout waived the reading of the charges against him.

Witnesses said they saw Stout watch the fire develop under his 2007 Toyota Yaris, put his car in neutral, and push it backward. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said the California Highway Patrol investigated and found the car was in neutral.

  • partial_accumen
    2•1 month ago

    Ramsey said Stout’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit when he was arrested Thursday and said that “involuntary intoxication is not a defense for arson.”

    So he was drunk driving and …

    “This didn’t have to happen. He was pulling off the side of the road over the burn and into the grass and trying to get out of the grass by making an effort to rev the engine and get out, causing a fire,” Ramsey said.

    …ran off the road into high (dry grass) because he was drunk and lost control?

    So its possible he didn’t set out to start a fire, but had PLENTY of negligence to cause it, then ran away from it. Lock him up.