DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. — The three men accused of helping Michael Yakimov set the Chelan Hills Fire appeared virtually in Douglas County court Friday.
Court documents show the men were arrested Thursday, the same day Yakimov pleaded not guilty to charges related to starting the fire.
The judge informed the men of the charges they may face, including 1st Degree Manslaughter, a Class A felony that carries a life sentence, and 1st-degree arson, along with other felonies. The men have not been officially charged; that will happen once the deadline to file new charges passes later in September.
Despite requests from the public defender assigned to each man, the judge set bail for all of them at $1 million. When explaining his decision, he spoke about the devastation and wide impact of the Chelan Hills Fire.
As of Friday, the Chelan Hills fire has burned more than 10,000 acres, according to the incident command center.
The public defender representing the men told KIRO 7 he believes their cases are “defendable” and that he may be able to show the men’s limited involvement in the fire at a future court appearance.
However, the lawyer also said he is worried about finding an impartial jury if the cases go to trial because of the devastating nature of the fires the men are alleged to have started and the widespread media coverage it has received as hundreds evacuated the area.