Ronnie Dean Stout II was convicted of malicious arson for allegedly sparking the July 2024 Park Fire, which burned more than 400,000 acres and destroyed 713 structures. The verdict includes enhancements for multiple-structure damage and a third-strike penalty tied to prior convictions, exposing Stout to 25 years to life at sentencing on Oct. 9. Prosecutors say he pushed a burning car about 60 feet down an embankment, spreading flames; witnesses and investigators point to phone records and photos as key evidence. No civilian deaths were reported, though at least three firefighters suffered heat-related injuries.
Convicted Arsonist Faces 25 Years to Life for Sparking 2024 Park Fire That Destroyed 713 Structures
Ronnie Dean Stout II, a 44-year-old Chico resident, was convicted Friday of malicious arson for his role in the July 2024 Park Fire — one of California's largest wildfires in recent history. The jury's verdict included enhancements for causing multiple structures to burn and a third-strike sentencing enhancement under the state's Three Strikes law.
Ronnie Dean Stout II arrested for intentionally causing the Park Fire. Butte County District Attorney's Office
Prosecutors say Stout intentionally pushed a burning vehicle into a park gully, where the car tumbled roughly 60 feet down an embankment and ignited surrounding brush. The fast-moving blaze forced mass evacuations in parts of Butte and Tehama counties and ultimately blackened more than 400,000 acres, ranking the Park Fire as the fourth-largest on record in California.
A handout photo made available by the Butte County District Attorney's Office on 25 July 2024, shows a burned-out car that Cal Fire arson investigators traced to the start of the Park Fire. MIKE GILCHRIST/BUTTE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Cal Fire arson investigators linked a burned-out vehicle to the blaze, and prosecutors introduced photos and other evidence at trial. Witnesses testified that Stout appeared intoxicated and that his car was stuck on the roadside before the fire began. Several witnesses said he calmly left the scene, blending in with parkgoers who were fleeing the "rapidly evolving" flames. Stout testified he panicked when his car caught fire and fled the area.
Horses evacuate as the Park Fire tears though the Cohasset community. AP
An investigator also testified that Stout did not report the fire to emergency dispatchers at the scene; instead he called the Butte County Sheriff's Office on a non-emergency business line hours later. Court records presented at trial included text messages showing a heated argument between Stout and his then-girlfriend in the minutes before the blaze, which prosecutors said may have been related to motive.
Prosecutors cited Stout's prior convictions as part of the third-strike enhancement: a 2001 child molestation conviction in Butte County and a 2002 theft conviction in Kern County. Under the verdict he faces a possible sentence of 25 years to life in state prison; formal sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9.
Impact And Aftermath
State data indicate the Park Fire destroyed 713 structures and damaged another 57. No civilian fatalities were reported, though at least three firefighters sustained heat-related injuries while battling the blaze. Local officials in Butte County have marked the anniversary with renewed calls for improved preparedness and resources to respond to large wildfires.
Key evidence in the case included the burned vehicle identified by Cal Fire investigators, witness testimony about Stout's conduct at the scene, phone and text records, and photographic documentation of the early spread of the fire.
Help us improve.
