Butte County authorities arrested an Oroville man suspected of throwing flaming fireworks out of his car, starting the Thompson fire this summer that destroyed 26 homes and businesses, county officials announced Aug. 27.
Spencer Grant Anderson, 26, is accused of sparking the fire from his Toyota sedan at about 10:45 a.m. July 2 on Cherokee Road, north of Thompson Flat Road. The flaming object was thrown into a steep embankment next to the road, starting the destructive fire that burned for seven days, according to the county’s District Attorney Michael Ramsey.
Anderson was arrested Aug. 22, arraigned Aug. 27, and is being held without bail at the Butte County Jail.
Officials say the fire started on a “red flag day,” meaning fire danger in the region was especially critical. Temperatures were above 100 degrees with low humidity, and high winds were blowing from the west.
The fire is believed to have started at the bottom of a steep embankment next to the west side of the road. Because of the dry conditions, it burned quickly up the hillside.
Once the fire reached the top of the hill, the wind carried embers east, nearly a one-quarter mile away.
The fire also ran up the Cherokee and Oregon Gulch drainages to the north of Oroville, and burned across the face of Table Mountain, according to the district attorney’s office.
From there, it spread quickly east into the City of Oroville, prompting the Butte County Sheriff’s Office to evacuate the northeast portion of the city and the Kelly Ridge residential area next to the Oroville Dam.
Within eight hours, the fire traveled more than 3.5 miles, destroying the first 13 homes and damaging another 34, officials said.
Fire investigators determined where the fire started and that it was intentional, according to Ramsey’s office.
Interviews with locals and with those who reported the emergency to 911 led investigators to identify the Toyota sedan allegedly driven by Anderson, placing it at the scene, officials reported.
Investigators determined the fire was most likely started when the flaming object was allegedly thrown by the driver of the Toyota as he drove southbound on Cherokee Road.
Investigators from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection used photos from license plate readers in the area to locate Anderson’s Toyota sedan in Oroville, officials said. Once found, investigators monitored the suspect 24 hours a day, seven days a week to collect evidence, before making an arrest.
The fire scorched nearly 6 square miles in the rural county starting July 2, ultimately destroying 26 homes or buildings, and causing the evacuation of about 30,000 residents.
Officials say the suspect admitted to buying fireworks from a stand in Oroville and throwing one out his car window to “test one.”
Anderson has a previous felony conviction for domestic violence, which would double the punishment available for any potential arson conviction. He faces 21 years in state prison, according to the district attorney.
