Man Charged With Starting California Wildfire

A California man has been charged with arson after allegedly starting the Park Fire near Chico, which rapidly expanded to 125,000 acres within 24 hours. Ronnie Stout, 42, is accused of igniting the fire by pushing a flaming car down an embankment, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey. Stout, who used his mother's car, is being held without bail pending his arraignment. The Park Fire, the largest wildfire in California this year, is only 3% contained, having burned nearly 125,000 acres across Butte and Tehama counties. The blaze is expected to continue for weeks, possibly months, due to high winds and dry conditions exacerbated by climate change. Wildfires in the US are predominantly human-caused, with arson accounting for over 20% of these incidents. This year alone, wildfires have burned more than 3.6 million acres across the country. As multiple fires rage across the West, the National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings due to high wind gusts and low humidity.