Man arrested after allegedly setting fire near Thompson Fire

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – A man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after allegedly setting a return fire near the Thompson Fire, according to Cal Fire Butte County.

According to officials, 61-year-old Harold Pulley started a fire on Oro Quincy Highway just hours after the Thompson Fire broke out on Cherokee Road northeast of Oroville.

Cal Fire officials went to the property and said they found Pulley standing near a quarter-acre of burned land.

Officials said he set the fire with a propane torch and was arrested on suspicion of arson in a wilderness area.

“The counterfire started by Pulley occurred in an area that posed a significant threat to the public, property and safety of firefighting personnel on the Thompson Fire,” Cal Fire said in a press release.

Authorities ask anyone with information about this or other suspicious fires to call Cal Fire at 530-538-7888 or the statewide arson hotline at 1-800-468-4408.

The Thompson Fire is still burning in Butte County, but is now 29% contained and has burned 3,789 acres. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

SEE MORE: California wildfires: Thompson Fire Update – July 3, 2024