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Arson Suspect Arrested in Park Fire Near Chico, California's Largest This Year

A man was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of starting a rapidly growing wildfire in Butte and Tehama counties that has forced more than 3,500 people to evacuate their homes.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey identified the suspect on Thursday afternoon as Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico. Ramsey said Stout has two prior strikes. The first one was a felony conviction in 2001 for child molestation in Butte County. The second one was a 2002 felony conviction for robbery with great bodily injury. This was out of Kern County, Ramsey said.

Convicted pedophile arsonist

Ronnie Dean II Stout (Aliases: Stout, Ronnie; Stout, Ronnie D; Stout, Ronnie Dean) Crime: LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH A CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE, Statute: 288(a) Address: 370 E Lassen Ave 57 Risk level: 3 City: Chico, CA Sex: Male Date of birth: 01/10/1982 Eye color: Brown Hair color: Brown Height: 5'11" Weight: 210 lbs. Marks/Scars/Tattoos: shoulder, right initial ; arm, left, nonspecific Ethnicity: White
Read more: https://www.city-data.com/soz/soz-95973.html

Authorities said the Chico fire was sparked by a man pushing a burning car into a ravine in Bidwell Park on Wednesday afternoon. Police arrested 42-year-old Ronnie Stout Thursday on arson charges. Stout is currently on probation for a DUI, the Sacramento Bee reported, and was convicted of child molestation in 2001 and robbery with great bodily injury in 2002.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p2mrr49mno

Who's burning Canada? RCMP Constable: “[...] it appeared as though someone was travelling along the rail bed and starting the fires on purpose.”

Newfoundland Forestry Crimes Unit releases arson reports

With another traumatic fire year smouldering in Canada after the record-smashing 2023 season (18.5m hectares burned that year, an area the size of Washington State) — one may wonder how big of a factor arson is. ...