Man Nabbed in California wildfire that forced thousands to evacuate

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A man was arrested on Thursday, on suspicion of starting a fire that forced thousands to flee their homes overnight in a fast-moving fire in Northern California, a prosecutor said.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in a statement that the man, whose name was not released, was jailed without bond on a Butte County judge's warrant after he was identified as the person seen pushing a flaming car into a gully on Wednesday afternoon.

The vehicle fire spread flames that caused the Park Fire, which exploded overnight from about 1,400 acres (567 hectares) on Wednesday near Chico, California, to about 45,500 acres on Thursday in California's Central Valley about 80 miles (130 km)north of the state capital Sacramento.

Few details were immediately available. The 42-year-old suspect was detained by arson investigators with the state California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, along with police.

His arraignment is set for Monday, according to Ramsey, who did not specify what charges the man might face. A spokesperson for the Butte County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more details.

The Park Fire was only 3 percent contained on Thursday morning, said Cal Fire spokesperson Dan Collins. No injuries were reported.

More than 4,000 people were evacuated in Butte County and the city of Chico, said Megan McMann, a spokesperson for the Butte County Sheriff's Office.