The Larch Creek Fire, south of The Dalles, has expanded to an estimated area of more than 14,000 acres, according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal.
Courtesy of the Oregon State Fire Marshal
A man accused of starting the Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County is at large after failing to appear at his arraignment.
According to the Waco County District Attorney’s office, Christopher Michael Mennealy was squatting on a property about 10 miles south of Dufur when he started a fire on July 9. Authorities allege that the fire would grow to become the Larch Creek Fire, which burned thousands of acres.
The wildfire tore through more than 9,000 acres in its first 24 hours, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry. The fire ultimately burned more than 18,000 acres and has an estimated repression cost of $14 million, according to authorities.
A grand jury indicted Mennealy, 51, for second-degree arson and reckless burning on Sept. 4. Mennealy’s arraignment was scheduled for Monday, but he did not appear. A judge issued a warrant and Mennealy remained at large as of Tuesday afternoon.
In an interview, Waco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis said Mennealy was burning trash at the time of the fire. Although the property owner had initially allowed Mennealy to live on the property, Ellis said his stay was supposed to be over by the time the fire started.
Ellis said Mennealy is unhoused and it was unclear whether he was trying to evade the law when he failed to show up for arraignment. Mennealy recently pled guilty to attempting to elude a police officer in Deschutes County, and Ellis said authorities tried to contact him about his impending arraignment through his attorney for that case. Law enforcement has an active tip about his location, Ellis said, and he’s hoping to have Mennealy brought to court soon.
This is not the first time a major Oregon wildfire has been connected to arson.
In 2018, a 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to igniting the Eagle Creek Fire in Hood River County after throwing a firecracker into a canyon. A judge sentenced him to five years probation, community service and $36.6 million in restitution.