A 19-year-old man accused of helping spark the deadly Chelan Hills Fire pleaded not guilty Thursday to nine felony charges in Douglas County Superior Court, and a judge agreed to cut his bail in half. Mark Okhrimchik now awaits trial alongside several co-defendants in a case that investigators say began with fireworks fired from a moving truck.
Okhrimchik entered not guilty pleas to all nine counts, according to mynorthwest.com, which reported the charges include first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief and six counts of third-degree assault. The same outlet reported that Judge Brian Huber found there was enough evidence for the charges to move forward, and agreed to lower Okhrimchik's bail, but only to $500,000, down from the original $1 million.
Prosecutors argued Okhrimchik could be held responsible as an accomplice because he allegedly filmed and narrated while another man fired the fireworks from the moving vehicle, the outlet's report states. Investigators have said Roman candles launched from that truck ignited dry grass along U.S. 97, setting off the fire. FOX 13 Seattle likewise reported that the teen was charged with manslaughter, arson and assault in connection with the blaze, which it described as deadly.
A Fatal Blaze With Disputed Scope
The fire killed 69-year-old Robert Lister and injured six firefighters, according to KIRO 7, which also reported the fire burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed more than 100 structures. That figure conflicts with an account from The Spokesman-Review, which reported the blaze burned 15 square miles, destroyed 19 homes and caused more than $6 million in damage. The discrepancy between the two tallies has not been resolved in public reporting.
Okhrimchik's trial is scheduled for Nov. 17, per mynorthwest.com's reporting. He is one of several people facing charges in the case, which has unfolded over the past several weeks.
Other Defendants Face the Same Nine Counts
Valentin Tabunscic and Julian Mikityuk also pleaded not guilty to all charges, with their trial likewise set for Nov. 17, according to mynorthwest.com's coverage of an earlier court appearance. That same report noted authorities were still looking for at least one additional outstanding suspect at the time.
Michael Yakimov, an 18-year-old Kent man, entered his plea on Sept. 17 in Douglas County Superior Court, according to the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, which reported he faces the identical set of charges: first-degree manslaughter, first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief and six counts of third-degree assault. A fifth suspect, a 19-year-old man, was arrested by U.S. Marshals late on a Thursday in Pierce County, KOMO News reported. He had not yet been formally charged; the sheriff's office was pushing for all suspects to face the same nine charges Yakimov faced.
With multiple defendants now entering pleas and trial dates converging on mid-November, the case continues to move through Douglas County Superior Court. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed every condition attached to Okhrimchik's reduced bail beyond the dollar figure itself.
