Thursday, March 28, 2024

Chelan teen, deputies injured in Chelan Saddle Club barn fire on July 17

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CHELAN - A 17-year-old Chelan youth is suspected of setting fire to a barn near the Chelan Rodeo Grounds on Sunday, July 17 according to Chelan County Sheriff's Office Chief of Operations Chris Foreman. Members of the Chelan Fire and Rescue  extinguished the blaze  which had moved into brush and stopped it from spreading to nearby structures. The suspect received third-degree burns from the incident and was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He has been released and is in stable condition.
After allegedly stealing a car in Chelan around 12:30 p.m., the unidentified teen was seen driving the stolen vehicle up Union Valley Road toward the fairgrounds. Foreman said when deputies arrived on the scene the youth ran into a small barn and locked himself inside. The teenager then set hay on fire as two deputies cut a door lock and forced entry inside the structure. This caused an oxygen release from the barn. An explosion occurred and the fire knocked back the two deputies. Foreman mentioned that there were reportedly gas cans in the barn and detectives are looking into whether the teen played a part in the explosion.
“There could be potential charges based on their injuries and what ends up happening with the long term effects of that,” Foreman said.
One of the deputies is still out on sick leave due to the incident.
The teen ran a short distance before surrendering to authorities and currently faces likely charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and arson.
“Our detectives are working closely with the fire marshal to make that determination,” said Foreman about the charges. “Once that evidence is collected and looked at we will coordinate with the prosecutor’s office for the appropriate charging.”
The 20’ x 20’ stable had no animals in it at the time of the fire since the horses were at the owners’ property. As of now there is no estimate of the loss of value to replace the structure and its items.

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