Man Arrested on Arson Charge in Connection With Devastating Spokane Wildfire
A 37-year-old Spokane resident has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with one of the most destructive wildfires to ravage eastern Washington state. Aaron F. Farinacci was taken into custody Monday afternoon and is being held on a $1 million bond, according to Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels.
Farinacci is accused of starting the Old Trails Fire, which ignited Saturday around noon near the intersection of North Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road, north of Airway Heights. The fire spread rapidly through the region, becoming one of three major blazes burning in Spokane County that together have devastated thousands of residents’ lives and homes.
The case against Farinacci began Saturday morning when a witness reported seeing a man acting suspiciously near where the fire would start. According to investigators, a citizen reported observing someone bending down along the roadside and looking into trees around 10 a.m. When the witness drove home a short time later, they saw smoke rising from the same area and immediately contacted police.
Law enforcement located a man matching the description about a mile from the fire’s origin that same day. Deputies questioned Farinacci and collected his contact information but released him as first responders prioritized battling the rapidly spreading blaze. During that initial encounter, authorities noted that Farinacci was carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter.
Over the following days, Major Crimes detectives and Washington State Department of Natural Resources fire investigators worked to build the case. By Sunday, investigators had determined that the fire’s origin point was precisely where witnesses had reported seeing Farinacci kneeling in the grass. On Monday afternoon, armed with an arrest warrant and a search warrant for his residence, authorities arrested Farinacci without incident at his home in the 2800 block of West Elliott Drive.
Sheriff Nowels noted that the fire was consistent with being started by a match or lighter, and investigators discovered evidence supporting the charges. While Farinacci has no prior arson convictions, he has previously been contacted for arson-related behavior, according to Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam. Farinacci is also known to have frequented the area where the fire was ignited.
Farinacci’s background includes a criminal record in Arizona. He was convicted of manslaughter stemming from a 2010 incident in which he fatally shot his father during an argument over household chores.
The Old Trails Fire became one of three destructive blazes collectively known as the Spokane Complex Fire. Together, these fires have burned more than 8,000 acres and destroyed at least 700 structures, including hundreds of homes. The fires have forced approximately 65,000 people to evacuate from their homes and communities around the region. Officials warned that damage assessments are ongoing and the number of destroyed structures is expected to increase.
More than 1,000 firefighters from across the western United States mobilized to combat the blazes, with that number expected to double as the effort continued. The fires were among dozens burning across the Western U.S., stretching firefighting resources to their limits. At least 390 square miles across Washington had burned as of Monday, amid severe drought conditions and a notably sparse snowpack that left the region vulnerable to rapid fire spread.
Despite the scale of the disaster, no deaths have been confirmed, though officials said the extent of damage means it will take considerable time to fully assess. The fires erupted Saturday following a rare “particularly dangerous situation” warning issued by the National Weather Service the day before, indicating critical fire weather conditions including winds up to 35 miles per hour and dangerously low humidity.
Sheriff Nowels indicated there is no evidence that Farinacci was involved in the other two fires burning in Spokane County. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities said additional charges may potentially be filed. Farinacci is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. It was unclear whether he has retained an attorney to represent him in the proceedings.