Man who 'started 160,000 acre California wildfire by pushing his burning car into gully' is pictured - as inferno triggers terrifying fire tornado

A California sex offender has been arrested for allegedly starting a 160,000 acre wildfire - the state's largest this year.

Ronnie Stout II, 42, was caught pushing his burning car into a gulley in upper Bidwell Park near the city of Chico on Wednesday, the Butte County District Attorney's Office announced.

The vehicle then tumbled 60 feet down an embankment, sparking a fire tornado that engulfed more than 71,000 acres of northern California overnight and prompted mass evacuations.

Stout was reportedly seen leaving the scene by blending in with parkgoers as the fire quickly spread.

Authorities ultimately identified the suspect early Thursday morning, and took him into custody. 

He was then booked into the Butte County Jail, where he is being held without bail, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Stout was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sex crimes against a child under 14 years old in 2001 and of robbery with great bodily injured.

Given that he has two prior convictions, Stout could be sent to jail for life if found guilty under California's Three Strikes and You’re Out law.

Footage of the inferno shows a home blowing up as the area is surrounded by flames. 

The Park Fire burned more than 195 square miles near the city of Chico.

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. 

As of Friday morning the fire had burned through more than 164,000 acres.

At least 134 structures have been destroyed but there are no reported injuries. 

Cal Fire-Butte County had said as many as 4,200 structures were threatened.

Fire whirls' are intensely rotating columns of gas and flames.

A combination of a cold front passing through the province and several days of dry and hot weather led to the perfect conditions for the fire tornado.

Friday's windy conditions is making it harder for firefighters to battle flames.

The National Weather Service has issued a for the northern Sacramento Valley.

Meanwhile forecasters are warning wind gusts could reach up to 30mph and push the blaze north.

The park fire is the largest in California since the Caldor fire of 2021, which destroyed 1,000 structures while burning across the Sierra Crest and into the Tahoe basin, torched forest that hadn’t seen flames in over a century.