On Thursday, one of the men accused of starting the deadly Chelan Hills wildfire faced a judge for the first time.
The fire, started on July 4, burned more than 20 homes and killed a man as he was trying to escape. The total estimated damages is more than $6.1 million.
Douglas County Sheriff Tyler Caille tells us they arrested 18-year-old Michael Yakimov at his Kent home on Wednesday afternoon.
Caille said Yakimov was with five other teenage suspects just past midnight on July 4th, throwing fireworks out of the back of a white Dodge truck, which single-handedly caused the Chelan Hills fire.
Caille said the other five suspects also live in Western Washington, ranging from Snohomish to Thurston Counties, and they have been contacted by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for their potential involvement in the fire.
They have not yet been arrested.
A Douglas County Judge set Yakimov’s bail at $1 million at his first appearance on Thursday. If bailed out, the judge mandates that Yakimov wear a GPS monitoring device and surrender his passport within an hour of his release.
Prosecutors say Yakimov will be charged with manslaughter, arson, malicious mischief, and six counts of assault, one for each of the firefighters injured.
“We had responders at the fire who almost became victims themselves; they had to run for their lives and leave their trucks behind in some cases. Those trucks were torched,” Caille said.
Caille tells us the Chelan Hills fire has devastated that community.
“It erupted into a firestorm; it ignited property, brush, utilities, everything in the path almost simultaneously,” Caille said.
Caille said this is all because of the reckless teens.
“We saw video of a white Dodge truck that was actually seen with people in the back shooting off illegal fireworks at another vehicle that was driving on the wrong side of the road,” Caille said. “The firework landed in the dry grass on the road and started the wildfire.”
Court documents say that firework was one called a “Trooper Turret”, which is identified as a “240 Roman Candle Barrage” that shoots all shots off within 46 seconds.
Those documents say there were several other large illegal fireworks in the back of the truck bed as well, according to Snapchat videos found on one of the suspect’s phones.
Caille said they have served more than 50 warrants to get the suspect’s phones and surveillance video recordings for this case.
Documents say the Flock cameras in this area pieced together where the teens went for hours before and after the fire started. That included multiple trips to a Safeway in the city of Chelan, where the suspects stole food and alcohol. The stolen White Claws were later seen in the Snapchat videos with the fireworks.
The man killed while trying to escape the fire was identified as 69-year-old Robert Lister.
KIRO 7 spoke with Lister’s family. Ralene Kocher said this loss weighs heavily on their family every day.
“He was wonderful, he loved fishing, his family, and his grandkids,” Kocher said.
She tells us his two dogs also died in the fire.
We asked Kocher how she feels about the first suspect being brought to justice.
“They get what they deserve. I’m sorry, there is nothing else to say. It’s not fair that we lost a life over some fun,” Kocher said.
Caille tells us the other five suspects will not get away with their crimes
“We will find them. We know who they are and they know we know who they are-- there’s no secret,” Caille said. “My words to them right now is to reach out to us, step up, and turn themselves in.”
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