Fire crews have managed to slightly widen containment of a vast and destructive arson-triggered fire that has scorched portions of four counties in Northern California, state officials said Tuesday night.
An arsonist, identified as a 42-year-old Chico man, has been arrested for deliberately starting the fire by pushing a burning vehicle into a gully in Bidwell Park while reportedly drunk.
The Park Fire was 18% contained as of 10 p.m. on Tuesday, according to information provided by the state Forestry and Fire Protection Department.
That’s up slightly from the 14% containment estimate issued Tuesday morning by CAL FIRE.
The Park Fire had burned an estimated 386,764 acres by Tuesday evening, an increase of 0.8% from the morning total of 383,619 acres.
“The winds were calm (Tuesday) and the thick smoke in the air shaded the fire, thereby reducing the fire activity at the edge closest to the Lassen National Forest,” CAL FIRE stated Tuesday night.
As of Tuesday evening, the fire had destroyed 274 structures and damaged another 27 structures.
Ronnie Dean Stout II was identified as the individual who pushed the burning vehicle into the gully.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsay said Tuesday that witnesses had spotted Stout drinking at a local establishment on the day of the incident involving the vehicle that eventually caught fire and was pushed into a ravine.
The flames have burned an area that is triple the surface area of Lake Tahoe, according to CAL FIRE.
The Park Fire is the 5th-largest wildfire in California history, state fire officials reported.
“The fire will continue to be active through most of the night,” CAL FIRE stated.
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