The man accused of starting the deadly Chelan Hills wildfire this summer will stay behind bars, for now, on a $1 million bond.
The man accused of starting the deadly Chelan Hills wildfire this summer will stay behind bars, for now, on a $1 million bond.
The Douglas County sheriff claims 18-year-old Michael Yakimov tossed fireworks out of a truck to spark the blaze, and he believes there are other suspects still missing.
FULL: News conference on arrest in deadly Chelan Hills Fire
The devastation is still visible from McNeil Canyon Road as families are rebuilding and recovering.
The sheriff said that while this wasn’t the largest wildfire in the county’s history, it was the most destructive, and his agency is working to bring those responsible to justice.
Yakimov had few words for a Douglas County Superior Court judge on Thursday, nearly two months after prosecutors claim he started the devastating wildfire that killed one man, forced evacuations, and destroyed 19 homes, vehicles, and utilities.
“It appears that this defendant is hoping nobody would realize who he was or where he was, and he’d be able to fly under the radar, so the state does not have a lot of confidence in his ability to come back to court,” the prosecutor told the judge at Yakimov’s first appearance.
An image of victim, 69-year-old Robert. M. Lister, a resident of Orondo, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO).Sheriff Tyler Caille, at a press conference about the arson investigation, claimed Yakimov was standing in the back of a white truck blasting illegal fireworks toward another vehicle with friends, but one landed in dry grass and ignited the wildland fire.
“This is the type of fire that will live with us for the rest of our lives,” Caille stated.
Robert Lister, 69, died in his car while trying to escape the fast-burning fire. His two dogs and his wife's remains were also in the vehicle, according to investigators.
During the Thursday news conference, a detective read a statement on behalf of Lister's loved ones: “While no amount of justice can bring Rob back, knowing the person responsible is being held accountable allows the family to begin to heal from the loss,” Detective Jackie Williams read from the statement.
Detectives report a tip eventually helped them identify the suspect vehicle, then they followed its route to western Washington using cell phone data, surveillance and Flock camera footage.
Those leads helped them arrest Yakimov in Kent on Sept. 2. A day later, a judge said he considers Yakimov a flight risk and set his bail at $1 million.
The judge found probable cause to charge Yakimov with first-degree manslaughter and arson, plus malicious mischief and six counts of assault for each firefighter injured in the fire fight.
His next court date is Sept.14.
The sheriff’s office believes there are five more suspects, all adults, who have yet to be arrested.
Caille said they face the same charges as Yakimov for being complicit. He’s urging them to turn themselves in to investigators.
