Arson trial awaits man accused of starting fourth-largest wildfire in California history

A man accused of igniting the Park Fire, the fourth-largest wildfire in California, is headed to trial later this year.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, 43, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday after he pleaded not guilty in August to arson of an inhabited structure or property in Butte Superior Court.

The Park Fire sparked July 24 in Upper Bidwell Park, east of Chico, and razed 429,603 acres across Butte and Tehama counties, according to Cal Fire. The blaze destroyed 700 structures and prompted evacuations across four Northern California counties. No deaths or injuries were reported.

Prosecutors said Stout lit a car on fire near a popular swimming hole and pushed it down an 60-foot embankment. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey has said Stout was intoxicated before his arrest.

Witnesses saw Stout near Alligator Hole and reported he just watched the flames after pushing the car down the embankment, Ramsey said last year.

A preliminary hearing is typically held for prosecutors and defense attorney to present evidence for a judge to determine what charges, if any, a defendant should face at trial. Stout is scheduled to face trial in June, the Chico Enterprise-Record newspaper reported.

Stout’s criminal charge is enhanced by arson with special circumstances and three enhancements related to prior felony strike convictions. Her faces a sentence of 25 years under California’s “three-strikes” law in which a defendant gets a 25-year to life sentence after accumulating three felonies.

Stout is scheduled to appear March 6 for another arraignment, according to online court records.

This story was originally published January 11, 2025 at 4:39 PM.