The Park Fire is said to have started when Ronnie Stout, 42, pushed a burning automobile into a ravine. Stout made his court appearance on Monday afternoon and was charged with arson.
Currently raging over four counties approximately 100 miles north of Sacramento, the fire is the sixth largest in state history, having destroyed 373,357 acres, or an area marginally larger than the metropolis of Los Angeles.
It is barely 12% contained and has destroyed 109 structures. Over 8,000 people have received evacuation orders for their homes.
Local media sources state that Mr. Stout did not speak or make a plea. Judge Kristen Lucena of Butte County ruled that he will be detained without bond.
Thus far, the fire has not resulted in any documented fatalities or injuries.
After his truck broke down on Wednesday, a guy who was attempting to escape the region was forced to leave behind his two dogs and their brood of puppies. To save the puppies, first responders raced 1.5 miles through the region devastated by the fire.
The Rottweilers were discovered on Saturday “alive, but tired and very thirsty” by Trevor Skaggs, a member of the Butte County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team; however, the older male dog did not survive.
