Crime · Douglas County
Five Charged in Deadly Chelan Hills Fire That Killed One in Douglas County
Five Washington men have been charged with first-degree manslaughter, arson, and other offenses in connection with the Chelan Hills Fire in Douglas County, which allegedly started shortly after midnight July 4 along U.S. Highway 97 when fireworks were shot from a truck bed into dry brush. The fire burned nearly 10,000 acres, destroyed dozens of homes and structures, killed 69-year-old Robert M. Lister during an evacuation, and injured six firefighters. All five defendants—Valentin V. Tabunscic, Michael Yakimov, Julian Mikityuk, Mark Okhrimchik, and David Radchanka—have pleaded not guilty. Investigators allege the group continued setting off fireworks after being warned a fire had started, and detectives are seeking probable cause to charge a sixth person.