A large forest fire broke out in California. This fire was the largest fire in the state and burned over 120,000 acres. Officials provided information on how the fire started on Thursday. The person who started the fire was identified as a 42-year-old man named Ronnie Dean Stout II. Stout had previously been in prison and had a record of sexual offenses. On Wednesday afternoon, he drove his car into a pit near Bidwell Park near the city of Chico. The car caught fire and rolled downhill. The flames quickly spread to the surrounding area. The fire grew so large that people in the nearby Butte and Tehama counties had to evacuate their homes. The wind accelerated the spread of the fire. By Thursday evening, only 3% of the fire had been contained. Officials identified Stout as a suspect and arrested him early Thursday morning. Stout will remain in prison until his court appearance on Monday. He faces charges of arson. Stout has a history of criminal records. He was found guilty of indecent behavior towards a child in 2001 and of a violent robbery in 2002. Under California's "Three Strikes and You're Out" law, if he is found guilty of this arson offense, he could receive a life sentence. This incident caused a major crisis in California and affected the lives of many people.
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