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Child molester convicted for setting one of California's largest wildfires
New York Post • • nation
Key Points:
- Ronnie Stout of Chico was convicted of malicious arson related to the 2024 Park Fire, which burned over 400,000 acres and became California’s fourth-largest wildfire on record.
- Stout faces enhancements for causing multiple structures to burn and a third strike under California’s Three Strikes Law, with prior convictions for child molestation and theft.
- The fire started when Stout, reportedly intoxicated, pushed a burning car into a park gully, spreading flames and triggering mass evacuations in Butte and Tehama counties.
- Witnesses and investigators testified that Stout did not report the fire immediately and left the scene calmly, while text messages revealed personal relationship conflicts shortly before the blaze.
- The Park Fire destroyed 713 structures and damaged 57 others, with no fatalities but several firefighter injuries, prompting local leaders to emphasize the need for better disaster preparedness.
