The man accused of starting the 374,000-acre Park Fire made his first court appearance Monday in Butte County and based on a judge’s decision denying him bail, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Citing the seriousness of the crime and the defendant’s criminal history, Superior Court Judge Kristen Lucena denied bond to Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico.
During Stout’s arraignment in Oroville, Lucena read aloud a statement that described how the events unfolded last Wednesday, July 24, that sparked the Upper Bidwell Park Fire and led to the fire that burned nearly 170,000 acres in two days.
Stout was charged with one count of arson of an inhabited structure or property and several special allegations that include the charge being his third attack as he has prior serious felonies on his record, including convictions for violent crimes. Based on those charges, Stout faces 25 years to life in prison, Ramsey said.
Stout did not enter a plea Monday, but District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Stout claimed he accidentally started the fire. His vehicle got stuck on a rock and he started the fire while trying to free it, Ramsey said.
Witnesses told arson investigators that Stout pushed the car over an embankment and down a 60-foot hill toward Big Chico Creek in the area of an Upper Bidwell Park swimming area called Alligator Hole, Ramsey said.
Stout told investigators he left because he was scared after the fire started, Ramsey said. But it was a claim the prosecutor disregarded on Monday.
“It is at this point that the evidence leans most heavily towards the witness, who had no reason to say and describe in detail how he (Stout) pushed the car into the ravine. then it burst into flames, which, of course, caused this monster that was called the Park Fire,” Ramsey said during a press conference following the court hearing.
After igniting, the fire ran north through Butte and Tehama counties and east toward Plumas County. Several communities and thousands of residents were evacuated in the face of the flames, which by Monday had burned 109 structures.
There were no reports of serious injuries due to the fire. But Ramsey said if there are injuries or deaths as a result of the fire, additional charges could be filed against Stout.
Witnesses told investigators that Stout had been drinking before the incident last Wednesday, Ramsey said.
Just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, Stout allegedly drove a car, a 2007 Toyota Yaris, to a parking lot near the creek and somehow got the vehicle stuck on a rock, Ramsey said. He said Stout was trying to free his car from the rock when he started a fire underneath the car.
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The car became stuck in an area of tall, dry grass, which caught fire when Stout started the engine and tried to free the vehicle from the rock, the prosecutor said. After it started, witnesses told investigators that Stout watched the fire grow, Ramsey said.
“The witness did not observe any apparent attempt by the defendant to extinguish the fire. The witness observed the defendant enter the driver’s side of the vehicle, then exit the vehicle and walk around the rear of the vehicle to the front passenger side of the vehicle. The witness then observed the defendant physically push the burning vehicle off the road and onto the side of a 60-foot embankment,” Ramsey said in a statement prepared for the court.
As the car landed at the bottom of the ravine, “the witness observed the dry vegetation around the vehicle burst into flames,” Ramsey said in a statement given to the court.
After the fire, Stout allegedly calmly walked away and did not warn others swimming in the creek, Ramsey said.
Stout was arrested at 2 a.m. the next day at his mother’s house, where he lived. The car destroyed in the fire also belonged to Stout’s mother, Ramsey said.
When the hearing ended on Monday, a woman said in the gallery: “We support you, Ronnie!” Ramsey said he didn’t know who the woman was.
Stout has previous criminal convictions, including child molestation and robbery. He was released from prison in 2020 and since his release has also been convicted of driving under the influence, Ramsey said.
Stout is due back in court Thursday for further arraignment.
Reporter Damon Arthur takes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive signing up today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Man accused of starting Park Fire faces life in prison
