Investigators say a man started the massive Park fire currently burning near Chico, Calif., by pushing a burning car into a ravine.
A 42-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of arson for allegedly pushing a burning car into a ravine that sparked the massive Park Fire, an ongoing blaze that has burned more than 70,000 acres in California, authorities said. The man from Chico, California, who was not identified, was arrested after he was seen pushing a car that was on fire into a gully near a swimming hole in Bidwell Park shortly before 3 p.m.
The fire has spread from 6,500 acres to more than 70,000 acres by Thursday afternoon, CalFire reports. It was only 3% contained at that time, the news outlet reported. After pushing the car into the gully, the man was seen “calmly leaving the area by blending in with other citizens who were in the area and fleeing the rapidly evolving fire,” Ramsey said. Arson investigators responded, secured the scene and began searching for evidence that would identify the suspect, prosecutors said.
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