A 26-year-old man has been accused by prosecutors of throwing a firework from a car window in July, igniting a devastating wildfire.
The Butte County District Attorney’s Office charged Spencer Grant Anderson of Oroville in the case on Monday.
Driving the news: The Thompson fire burned nearly 6 square miles, destroyed 13 homes and damaged others in the Oroville area.
The big picture: Anderson was charged with arson of an inhabited structure, arson of forest land and arson causing multiple structures to burn by the Butte County District Attorney’s Office.
- He was booked into jail on a no-bail hold.
Flashback: Law enforcement arrested Anderson on Aug. 22 following an investigation.
- He admitted to purchasing fireworks in Oroville and testing one by throwing it out of his car window, authorities said.
- The fire occurred on a day with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees (38 Celsius), low humidity, and high winds, creating favorable conditions for the fire’s rapid spread.
