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An 18-year-old Kent man pleaded not guilty to charges that he lit fireworks that started the July 4 Chelan Hills fire that killed a 69-year-old man, injured six firefighters and caused more than $6 million in losses and property damage.
Michael Yakimov entered his plea Sept. 17 in Douglas County Superior Court. As of Sept. 18, he remained in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center, according to jail records. Bail is at $1 million.
Meanwhile, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office ,working with the U.S. Marshals Service, arrested three more Western Washington men Sept. 17 in connection with the wildfire that destroyed more than 100 structures and burned more than 10,o00 acres, according to a Sept. 17 U.S. Marshals Service news release.
Yakimov has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief and six counts of third-degree assault. The other men are expected to face similar charges.
The three arrested Sept. 17 were 18-year-old Valentin Tabunscic of Tacoma; 19-year-old Mark Okhrimchik of University Place; and 19-year-old Julian Mikityuk of Pacific, a small town near Auburn.
According to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives, multiple individuals allegedly fired Roman candles from a moving truck on July 4 along U.S. Highway 97 while Douglas County was under a burn ban, prohibiting fireworks and open burning of any kind. Investigators determined the fireworks ignited dry grass along the roadway, starting the Chelan Hills Fire.
“These arrests underscore the strength of our collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service,” Douglas County Sheriff Tyler Caille said. “By working together and acting quickly, we were able to locate and apprehend the three suspects, providing an important step toward justice for the life lost, the firefighters injured, and the community forever changed by this wildfire.”
According to charging documents, for several weeks members of the investigation team collected surveillance footage from areas in Douglas County, Chelan County and Kittitas County. The footage was from a range of dates and times before and after the fire. Also, the footage came from several areas near the fire in Douglas County, several populated areas in and near the City of Chelan, and a grocery store in the City of Cle Elum.
From this footage, the investigation team identified persons of interest and vehicles of interest. Investigators established a timeline of events for those of interest. During this timeline, investigators identified three vehicles as transporting people of interest. These vehicles included a Nissan Titan, Mercedes G-Class SUV and a white Dodge Ram truck.
Tabunscic reportedly was the driver of the Dodge Ram. Yakimov and Okhrimchik were passengers and reportedly shot fireworks out of the back of the truck at another vehicle.
Even before shooting fireworks that reportedly started the fire, Yakimov and Okhrimchik were allegedly caught on video surveillance lighting an aerial firework in the Chelan Safeway parking lot that shot into the sky about 27 to 30 times. It appeared that they obtained fireworks from the back of the white Dodge Ram truck.
Witnesses later reported that they saw people in the truck bed shooting fireworks toward the Mercedes G-Class SUV (“Jeep”) as the vehicles traveled on the highway.
Investigators believe the occupants of the white Dodge Ram truck engaged in reckless conduct that manifested an extreme indifference to human life when they were shooting fireworks from the moving vehicle in all directions, including at another moving vehicle traveling at high speeds, with numerous occupants, and during the dry summer months when brush and plants are noticeably brown and dry and highly combustible vegetation, according to court documents.
A person is reckless or acts recklessly when they know of and disregards a substantial risk that fire may occur when shooting fireworks from a moving vehicle, according to charging papers. This disregard is a gross deviation from conduct that a reasonable person would exercise in the same situation.
Investigators found a firework reportedly fired by Yakimov that is a Trooper Turret, a 240 aerial Roman candle barrage (propelled explosions) with a black-tipped handle. Investigators said this firework caused the Chelan Hills Fire because they collected it as evidence from the crime scene. It is designed to rapidly discharge 240 aerial Roman candle barrages within 46 seconds.
