Wasco County seeks man accused of starting $14 million wildfire

A man accused of starting the Larch Creek Fire in Wasco County is free after failing to appear for arraignment.

According to the Waco County District Attorney's Office, Christopher Michael Mennealy was occupying property about 10 miles south of Dufur when he started a fire on July 9. Authorities believe the fire expanded into the Larch Creek Fire, which devastated thousands of acres of land.

According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, the wildfire burned more than 9,000 acres of land in the first 24 hours. In total, the fire burned more than 18,000 acres and the estimated cost of fighting the fire was $14 million, according to authorities.

A grand jury indicted Mennealy, 51, on Sept. 4 on charges of second-degree arson and reckless arson. Mennealy's arraignment was scheduled for Monday, but he failed to appear. A judge issued an arrest warrant, and Mennealy was still 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 should have ended when the fire started.

Ellis said Mennealy is homeless and it's unclear if he was trying to evade the law when he failed to show up for arraignment. Mennealy recently pleaded guilty to attempting to elude a police officer in Deschutes County, and Ellis said authorities have been trying to contact him through his attorney for that case about his upcoming arraignment. Police have a specific lead on his whereabouts, Ellis said, and he hopes to bring Mennealy to justice soon.

This is not the first time a major wildfire in Oregon has been linked to arson.

In 2018 A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty for starting the Eagle Creek Fire in Hood River County after throwing a firework into a ravine. A judge sentenced him to five years probation, community service and $36.6 million in restitution.