Red flag warning, Park Fire arson conviction. Top Sacramento stories July 24

The Sacramento Bee published several top stories Friday spanning wildfire risk, restaurant health inspections and a major arson conviction.

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Here’s a quick digest of what readers should know.:

• The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for parts of northern California, northwest Nevada and the Lake Tahoe area for Friday and Saturday afternoons due to low humidity and wildfire spread risk. High temperatures in the southern Sacramento Valley are expected to reach the low to mid-90s through the weekend, including at the State Fair. A heat dome is forecast to build over the western U.S. in about a week, potentially pushing high temperatures toward or above 100 degrees for an extended stretch into early August.

• Sacramento County health inspectors cited a pizza chain restaurant for black mold biofilm and bacterial slime residue, along with four other eateries flagged for violations that included a lack of toilet paper and a missing food safety certification. Dolce Caffe and Beach Hut Deli were reinspected and passed with green placards.

• Ronnie Stout II was found guilty of felony arson of an inhabited structure for igniting the Park Fire, California’s fourth-largest wildfire in history. The 2024 blaze burned 429,603 acres across four Northern California counties and destroyed 713 homes, businesses and other buildings. Stout faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison and is scheduled to return to court Oct. 9 for sentencing, with enhancements tied to prior convictions including a 2001 sex offense and a 2002 robbery conviction in Kern County.