Man accused of starting Park Fire pleads not guilty to arson

CHICO, California (KOVR) — The man accused of igniting the Park Fire, which has grown to be California’s fourth-largest wildfire ever, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of arson, prosecutors said Thursday.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, of Chico, also denied all special circumstances relating to the arson charge and prior convictions, court records show.

Stout was arrested on July 25, the day after the fire started near Chico in Upper Bidwell Park.

Prosecutors said a man was seen pushing a burning car into a gully near Alligator Hole. Cal Fire arson investigators and the Butte County District Attorney’s Office later identified that suspect as Stout.

Stout has maintained that he did not purposely start the fire and previously did not enter a plea in an August 1 arraignment hearing that was continued to Thursday’s hearing.

Stout is next scheduled to appear in court on September 19 to set a future preliminary hearing.

Stout has two previous strike felony convictions in 2001 and 2002. He was first convicted of committing lewd and lascivious acts with a minor in Butte County. He was later convicted in Kern County of robbery with great bodily injury, for which he received a 20-year prison sentence.

Dozens of Utah firefighters on their way to Northern California to help fight fire

The Park Fire has been burning for nearly a month and scorched around 430,000 acres in Butte and Tehama counties. CalFire said early Friday that the fire was 63% contained and had charred 429,460 acres, or 671 square miles. Four counties, including Shasta and Plumas, were impacted by evacuation orders. All orders have since been lifted.