Man arrested for misfire near Thompson Fire

(FOX40.COM) — CAL FIRE officials announced Thursday that a The man was arrested shortly after the Thompson fire broke out after allegedly starting a second fire to try to contain the main problem.

The 61-year-old man, a resident of Oroville, was arrested on the afternoon of July 2, several hours after the Thompson Fire broke out around 11 a.m. that same day.

CAL FIRE officials said the man was arrested after he admitted to using a propane torch to cause a misfire.

A backfire is a fire that is deliberately set so that it is easier to control and is designed to burn vegetation so that a larger fire cannot spread further.

However, CAL FIRE officials said the fire the man started posed a danger to the public and to personnel tasked with containing the Thompson Fire.

The man was charged with illegally starting a fire in a forest area.

As of Thursday evening, the Thompson Fire had reached nearly 4,000 acres, about the size of a college campus, and was 29 percent contained.

Due to evacuation orders, more than 20,000 people had to leave their homes.