A man could spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of arson for sparking the 2024 Park Fire, one of the largest wildfires in California history.
Ronnie Dean Stout II, 44, was found guilty Friday – exactly two years after the Park Fire was sparked – on multiple felony counts, including aggravated arson. Prosecutors said he intentionally pushed a burning vehicle into a ravine near Bidwell Park in Chico on July 24, 2024, igniting flames that quickly spread through dry vegetation.
