A 37-year-old Washington man has been charged with first-degree arson over allegations that he intentionally started the Old Trails Fire, one of three destructive wildfires tearing through the Spokane area.
Authorities identified the suspect as Spokane resident Aaron F. Farinacci. He was arrested at his home on Monday and placed on a $1 million bond as investigators continued examining the circumstances surrounding the devastating blaze.
The Old Trails Fire began around noon on Saturday, August 1, near North Old Trails Road and West Euclid Road. Fueled by dry vegetation, strong winds and intense summer heat, the flames spread rapidly through communities northwest of downtown Spokane before crossing the Spokane River and destroying homes.
According to investigators, a community member reported seeing a man acting suspiciously and bending near grass close to where the fire started. Farinacci was initially questioned and released, but detectives later arrested him after reviewing reports, body-camera footage and evidence connected to the fire’s origin. Authorities said waterproof matches and a butane lighter were found in his possession.
The Old Trails Fire has become the most destructive of the three major blazes burning around Spokane. Together, the fires had scorched about 16 square miles by early Tuesday, destroyed at least 700 buildings and forced approximately 67,000 people to evacuate.
More than 1,000 firefighters, including crews arriving from outside Washington, have been deployed to battle the flames. Cooler conditions briefly assisted emergency teams, but forecasts of returning heat and dryness raised fears that the crisis could intensify again.
No confirmed deaths or major injuries had been reported as of early Tuesday. Authorities had reduced an initial list of nearly 300 missing-person reports to 14, many of whom may simply have lost contact with relatives during the chaotic evacuations.
Officials have not announced confirmed causes for the other two major fires. Farinacci remains accused, and the charge against him must be proven in court as the investigation continues.
For families returning to burned-out neighborhoods, the arrest offers only the beginning of a search for answers after one of the most devastating wildfire disasters in Spokane’s recent history.
