Multiple Suspects of the Chelan Hills Wildfire that Killed One and Injured Six Firefighters Arrested in Western Washington

Spokane, WA - Detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, working in collaboration with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, apprehended three additional suspects wanted in connection with the Chelan Hills wildfire.

According to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives, multiple individuals allegedly fired Roman candles from a moving truck on July 4 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.

The wildfire killed a 69-year-old man, injured six firefighters, destroyed more than 100 structures, burned more than 10,000 acres, and resulted in more than $6 million in losses and property damage.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives worked closely with the USMS Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force in Yakima to locate suspects responsible for igniting the devastating fires.  State, local, and federal investigators located three suspects in Western Washington.  Today, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers with Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force from both the Eastern District of Washington and Western District of Washington developed a plan and conducted a joint arrest operation, apprehending the following suspects: 18-year-old Valentin Tabunscic of Tacoma; 19-year-old Mark Okhrimchik of University Place; and 19-year-old Julian Mikityuk of Pacific, Washington.

Douglas County Sheriff Tyler Caille stated, “These arrests underscore the strength of our collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service. 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.”

Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Leigh for the Eastern District of Washington stated, “the hard work, great collaboration and swift action of law enforcement officers in Douglas County and across the state contributed to the successful apprehension of these three individuals. We will continue to aggressively pursue anyone involved in intentionally setting fires and destroying our communities.”

Additional information regarding the defendants, charges, and arrests will be released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office at a later date.

The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips.