Arrest Made in Washington Wildfire Case

A 37-year-old man, Aaron Farinacci, has been arrested and charged with first-degree arson in connection with one of three wildfires burning in Spokane County, Washington. The fires have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of structures.

According to authorities, Farinacci was detained on Monday afternoon in Spokane County. He is being held on a $1 million bond.

The Old Trails Fire, one of the three wildfires, erupted on Saturday at around midnight PDT. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels credited local citizens with helping investigators arrest Farinacci.

A ‘very good citizen’ who was driving into Old Trails Road to pick up a friend noticed a man standing by the roadside looking into the trees. On their way back, the citizen again saw the man who was now bending down near some grass and looked very nervous.

The citizen returned to the scene and contacted the police, providing a detailed physical description of the man they had seen. The description was broadcast to units in the area, resulting in Farinacci being contacted by police about 1 1/2 miles from where the fire was started.

Following further investigation, police identified Farinacci as a suspect, developed probable cause, and determined that the origin of the fire was indeed exactly where the witnesses had seen Mr. Farinacci kneeling in the grass earlier that day.

A judge signed arrest and search warrants for Farinacci at 3 p.m. Monday, and he was detained by 5 p.m., Nowels added.

Farinacci has a felony conviction for manslaughter and was previously arrested in the same case on a charge of premeditated murder in Arizona, according to authorities.

Authorities will be looking at further charges in the Old Trails Fire case as the investigation continues, according to Nowels. He said authorities allege that Farinacci started the fire with either waterproof matches or a butane lighter, both of which were in his possession when arrested.

A motive is being investigated, according to Nowels, who said Farinacci told police when he was detained ‘about we didn’t know the whole story, or something to that effect.’

The Old Trails Fire, Fairview Fire, and Autumn Lane Fire have ripped through Spokane County, where roughly 65,000 people were forced to evacuate and more than 700 structures were destroyed.

According to a Monday update from the county, the three fires have burned about 8,026 acres of land and were 0% contained.

Key Facts and Figures:

• Aaron Farinacci, 37, arrested and charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire.
• Over 65,000 people forced to evacuate in Spokane County.
• More than 700 structures destroyed in the three wildfires.
• The fires have burned about 8,026 acres of land and were 0% contained.