Arsonist sentenced to at least 20 years in prison

Friday, April 11, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Robert Rex Chappell, 36, who has a history of mental illness, pleaded guilty earlier to four counts of first-degree arson for setting the August blaze that charred 6,700 acres on the outskirts of Reno.

Washoe District Judge Connie Steinheimer sentenced him on Thursday to five to 15 years on each count and ordered each sentence to run consecutively.

No serious injuries occurred in the fire that damaged at least five structures.

Chappell's father, Harry Chappell, is a fire prevention officer with the Truckee Fire Department in Truckee, Calif.

He said he and Chappel's mother tried to get him mental health care just days before the fire but could not force his hospitalization.

"Nobody listens," he told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "As a result, we have the Belli Ranch fire.

"I think he is in the right place. This is the only place he can get help."

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