Aaron Farinacci, 37, was arrested and charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire — the largest of three Spokane County wildfires that together burned about 10,000 acres and destroyed roughly 700 homes. Witnesses reported seeing a man near the suspected ignition point, and investigators later linked an open flame to vegetation as the cause. No fatalities have been reported, but an estimated 67,000 people have been displaced and containment remained at 0% as firefighting efforts continued.
Arson Arrest After Devastating Spokane Wildfires: 37-Year-Old Charged in Blaze That Destroyed Hundreds of Homes
Aaron Farinacci, 37, a man charged with arson in connection with Spokane, WA, fires, is pictured in an old mugshot. (Arizona Department of Corrections)
Authorities in Spokane County, Washington, have arrested a 37-year-old man on a first-degree arson charge after investigators say he ignited the largest of three wildfires that levelled hundreds of homes and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate.
Farinacci was taken into custody at his home in Spokane, WA, Monday evening. (Spokane County Sheriff's Office)
Aaron Farinacci was taken into custody at his Spokane residence Monday evening and booked on a first-degree arson charge tied to the Old Trails Fire, which officials say began around noon on Saturday, Sheriff John Nowels announced at an overnight news conference.
The fires still raging in Spokane, WA, are leaving behind widespread devastation. (AFP via Getty Images)
The Old Trails Fire, together with the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires, has burned roughly 10,000 acres (about 16 square miles). Officials estimate the three blazes have destroyed approximately 700 homes and other structures across Spokane County and displaced an estimated 67,000 people. As of Tuesday, the fires were reported as 0% contained, with thousands of firefighters from multiple states continuing suppression efforts.
The fires, one of which was allegedly caused by arson, have destroyed some 700 homes. (AFP via Getty Images)
Law enforcement say officers first questioned Farinacci Saturday afternoon after witnesses reported seeing a nervous man in a green shirt that read "Who Needs Luck, I Have Charm" bending down in grass near the treeline at North Old Trail Road and West Euclid Road. Smoke was observed rising from that area shortly afterward.
A home is covered in red fire retardant dropped by firefighters during the Old Trails Fire in Spokane on Tuesday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Officers assisting with evacuations later located the man a few miles from the suspected ignition point and detained him for questioning. He was reportedly carrying a fanny pack that contained cigarettes, a butane lighter and a box of waterproof matches. Farinacci denied starting the fire and was initially released due to insufficient evidence. He was arrested two days later after a fire investigator concluded the Old Trails Fire was caused by an open flame applied to vegetation and detectives developed probable cause linking him to the blaze.
A line of burned out residential homes and a car smolder in Spokane, WA. (AFP via Getty Images)
"It was citizens paying attention and willing to say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci," Sheriff John Nowels said, crediting local residents for reporting suspicious activity.
Court records cited by ABC10 show that while living in Mesa, Arizona, in 2010, Farinacci, then 21, shot and killed his father during an argument. He also shot himself in an apparent suicide attempt but survived, the Associated Press reports. In 2012, Farinacci pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault and received a 12-year sentence; he was released with credit for time served in December 2020 and completed probation in 2024.
The Spokane wildfires have displaced an estimated 67,000 people, some of whom sought help from the Red Cross. (Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images)
Farinacci is being held at the Spokane County Jail on $1 million bond pending his initial court appearance. Sheriff Nowels said investigators are not ruling out additional charges as the probe continues. The causes of the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires remain under investigation.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, speaking to CNN, said the possibility that one of the fires was deliberately set "makes it more heartbreaking to think that much of this damage could have been caused by an individual doing this on purpose."
Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, compared the scale of destruction to a "war zone" after touring affected communities, warning that some residents may never recover from the losses.
Photo and video from the disaster zone show neighborhoods reduced to charred debris and standing chimneys where houses once stood. Relief agencies including the Red Cross are assisting displaced residents while investigators continue to piece together the events that sparked the fires.
Help us improve.
