The woman accused of starting multiple fires near propane tanks in Seeley Lake had gotten into an argument at the Chicken Coop, bought fire starter from Roveros and tried to burn down multiple structures because “she was so upset with what happened with the people of Seeley Lake (that) she needed to do something to show them she was unhappy.”
Makayla Dembowski, a resident of Idaho, had been waiting on a load of wood from Pyramid Mountain Lumber, and decided to do some drinking in her vehicle before walking across Highway 83 to the Chicken Coop.
At the Coop, charging documents said Dembowski got into an argument with one of the regular customers. Dembowski was allegedly talking with the customer about moving to Seeley Lake and how to change it for the better. She said the man was argumentative and upset her.
She was so upset that she went to Roveros, bought a fire starter, lighter fuel and matches.
She returned to the Chicken Coop to start a dumpster fire near the propane tank. After lighting her flannel on fire, Dembowski let the fire burn, but a patron saw the flames and put it out with a fire extinguisher.
Dembowski then went to Mission Bible Fellowship, tried to sit in on a service, and then had another altercation with the leaders of the church, who said they were dismissive of her because she was a lesbian woman, according to court documents.
Dembowski then tried to start a fire in the back of the church near the propane tank, but the blaze never caught. A Missoula County Sheriff Deputy later identified Dembowski because she wasn’t wearing a jacket during the chilly night.
Dembowski was originally charged with felony arson, which carries up to 20 years in prison. Dembowski’s lawyer said in court that the military veteran has some issues with triggers and PTSD, which they said was part of the reasoning behind the incident.
Dembowski has never been charged with a crime before and left jail with no bond.
Dembowski has been ordered to talk with her VA mental health expert as the case continues. Dembowski appeared in Montana District Court on Oct. 16, where she entered a plea and moved on to the next steps of the case.
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