Cal Fire arson investigators have quickly made an arrest in connection with the massive Park Fire, which since Thursday morning has nearly doubled in size, scorching 71,000 acres.

An unnamed 42-year-old man was arrested early Thursday, according to the Butte County District Attorney's Office, after he was seen pushing a burning car off the road in the immediate vicinity of where the fire began Wednesday afternoon.

This "unknown male was seen pushing a car that was on fire into a gully near the Alligator Hole in upper Bidwell Park shortly before 3:00 pm yesterday," the DA's office says in a release. "The car went down an embankment approximately 60 feet and burned completely, spreading flames that caused the Park Fire."

Afterward, as the fire quickly grew, "The male was then seen calmly leaving the area by blending in with the other citizens who were in the area and fleeing the rapidly evolving fire."

The DA's office was reportedly involved in identifying the man, who may have been known to law enforcement. His name has still not been released, but the DA's office said it would be later Thursday afternoon.

The Park Fire grew extremely rapidly overnight on Wednesday into the largest fire to date this fire season in California. This morning it was reported at 45,500 acres, and is at 71,481 acres as of this writing. It is reportedly 3% contained.

The fire is burning north of Chico, and crossed into Tehama County last night.

The the investigation is ongoing and anyone who has information or was in the Alligator Hole area between the hours of noon and 3 pm Wednesday is encouraged to call Cal Fire investigations at 530-538-7888.

Related: Park Fire In Butte County, Fed By Gusty Winds, Becomes State's Largest Wildfire of the Year In Less Than a Day

Top image via Alert Wildfire/UC San Diego/PG&E