Derek Jokay-Szilagyi, 45 of Nikolaevsk, was arrested at around 5:30 p.m. on May 14. Troopers said he impeded fire trucks from responding to the fire when he "laid down in the middle of the road and impeded a fire truck which was responding to a wild land fire."
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That fire was eventually calmed by fire fighting efforts including helicopters dumping industrial bucket loads of water as well as fire retardant being spread on nearby homes. However, for a good portion of the response time, authorities considered the fire to be "threatening occupied residences in Nikolaevsk."
Jokay-Szilagyi was arrested and remanded into the Homer Jail for multiple charges, including disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment, as the fire was threatening homes.