California blaze grows to 6th largest as suspect faces court

A man has faced court accused of starting a California wildfire that has burned through more than 370,000 acres of land, destroyed scores of buildings and forced thousands from their homes.

Ronnie Stout, 42, appeared in court on Monday afternoon charged with arson, for allegedly igniting the Park Fire by pushing a burning car into a ravine.

The fire is now the 6th largest recorded in the state, burning in four counties about 100 miles north of Sacramento, has torn through 373,357 acres – an area slightly larger than the city of Los Angeles.

It has destroyed 109 structures and is only 12% contained. More than 8,000 have been told to evacuate their homes.

Mr Stout, according to local media reports, did not speak or enter a plea. Butte County Judge Kristen Lucena ordered him to be held without bail.

There have been no reported deaths or injuries in the fire so far.

One man who was trying to flee the area was forced to leave behind his two dogs and their litter of puppies on Wednesday after his truck broke down. First responders ran 1.5 miles through the fire-ravaged area to rescue the pups.

Trevor Skaggs, who is on a search and rescue team at the Butte County Sherriff’s Office, found the Rottweilers on Saturday “alive, but tired and very thirsty” – although the adult male dog did not survive.

Though the remote area was not immediately accessible as the fire rapidly spread, Mr Skaggs was flown by helicopter to a nearby point on Saturday and then ran to the location, according to police.

After finding the animals, he fed them water and bites from his protein bar, before leading them back to his helicopter.

The dogs were later flown to Chico Airport and are now in the care of the North Valley Animal Disaster Group, a local animal rescue organisation.

“It’s been a horrific few days for our community and we are grateful to be able to share this amazing story,” the sheriff’s office said.

NVADG says it has taken in more than 60 large animals, including cows and horses, as well as 80 small animals, mostly pets, since the fire started.

Blazing temperatures and gusty winds have contributed to the Park Fire’s rapid growth.

The fire is one of more than 100 burning across the West Coast that have destroyed buildings and caused widespread evacuations.

In Canada, there are more than 800 active wildfires, including a massive blaze in Alberta. It’s tore through the town of Jasper – destroying about 33% of buildings – and continues to burn through the scenic Jasper National Park.