Suspect In Deadly Chelan Hills Fire Arrested

The Douglas County Sheriff Tyler Caillie has announced an arrest of a primary suspect in the July 4th fire that resulted in the death of an Orondo man and the destruction of over 100 homes and buildings in McNeil Canyon and northern Douglas County.

On Wednesday, Caillie said detectives developed probable cause to arrest
an 18-year-old resident of Kent, WA, who was identified as Michael Yakimov. Detectives
travelled to Kent, WA, and made the arrest without incident. Yakimov was transported back to Douglas County and was booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on multiple charges, including first-degree manslaughter, arson first-degree, malicious mischief, and six counts of third-degree assault.

Sheriff Cailie provided no additional details in a news release announcing the arrest but said more details from the ongoing investigation and the arrest of a primary suspect will be provided at a press conference scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in East Wenatchee, Washington.

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The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says 69-year-old Robert Lister of Orondo was found deceased on July 5th inside a vehicle within an area where the Chelan Hills Fire had burned the previous evening.

Investigators say Lister's vehicle was destroyed by the fire after apparently sliding off the roadway, likely while he was in the act of attempting to evacuate the area.
Lister was discovered after his family had notified the Sheriff's Office that he lived within an evacuation zone attached to the wildfire and hadn't been heard from since the blaze sparked on the evening of July 4th.

Lister is the only known casualty of the blaze, which also injured several firefighters, destroyed at least 19 homes and over 100 outbuildings, and charred nearly 10,000 acres in McNeil Canyon and other parts of northwestern Douglas County.