A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting a fire that ravaged the historic Bidwell Mansion, an iconic landmark in Chico and the former home of the city’s founder, authorities said.
California State Parks officers arrested Kevin Alexander Carlson, of Chico, on Thursday. Preliminary charges filed against him include one felony count of intentional arson with an enhancement for using an accelerant, according to Butte County Dist. Atty. Mike Ramsey.
Carlson is being held without bail at the Butte County Jail, Ramsey said.
More details on the charges will be presented when Carlson is arraigned Monday at 3 p.m. in Butte County Superior Court, he added.
Flames were first spotted in Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park around 3 a.m. on Dec. 11. The Chico Fire Department and several other agencies were unable to prevent heavy damage from the fast-moving blaze, which caused the top story of the mansion to cave in around 4 a.m.
A week later, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection investigators determined the cause of the fire to be arson, authorities said.
The 26-room mansion was completed in 1868 and served as the residence of Chico’s founder, John Bidwell, and his wife Annie. The property was undergoing extensive restoration that was nearly complete when the fire broke out.
Now, the future of the historic home is hazy.
California State Parks is working with a coalition of community partners — including the city of Chico, Cal State Chico, the Mechoopda Indian Tribe and the Bidwell Mansion Assn. — to figure out the next steps for the property. State Parks is also assessing what remains of the mansion to determine how that might affect the building’s designation as a California Historical Landmark or its listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
“For over a century this beloved landmark has stood as a testament to the legacy of John and Annie Bidwell and the community they helped shape,” State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in a statement after the fire. “To see it so severely damaged is a profound loss that we all feel deeply.”
Several agencies assisted State Parks in arresting a suspect, including Cal Fire, the Chico Police Department, Cal State Chico Police Department, the Butte County district attorney’s office and the FBI.
If convicted, Carlson could face a sentence ranging from two to 11 years, according to Ramsey.
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