65,000 displaced as arson suspect charged in 7,000-acre Spokane fire

For climate and energy professionals, the Spokane cluster is not an isolated crime story but a case study in how extreme fire weather converts one ignition into a mass displacement event. With high winds, high temperatures and dry fuels, the region saw 7,000 acres burn and critical infrastructure evacuated in a matter of days.

Law enforcement in Spokane County has moved quickly to arrest and charge Aaron Farinacci, a 37-year-old convicted felon, with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, the most destructive of three wildfires burning around Washington state's second-largest city. Farinacci made a virtual first court appearance from jail on Tuesday, one day after his arrest. Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels told reporters that a citizen tip led investigators to a suspect early, and court documents describe a witness who saw a bald white male wearing a backpack and a green shirt near a tree line on Saturday afternoon just as the fire began. The witness said the man appeared nervous. According to a second public media account, a citizen reported seeing a man bending down near some grass in the fire-start area. Farinacci was later arrested at his home without incident and his home was searched. Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam confirmed the Tuesday court appearance. Farinacci was questioned and released before major crimes detectives and investigators re-arrested him as more details emerged. Prosecutors have set the case in motion with first-degree arson, a charge that carries serious potential consequences. Bail was set at $1 million, and the next court date is scheduled for Thursday.

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Bail was set at $1 million, and the next court date is scheduled for Thursday.

Investigators said they believe Farinacci used matches or a lighter to start the fire. A search of his fanny pack found a pack of cigarettes, a butane lighter and a used box of 'rain ready, heavy duty waterproof matches.' Farinacci denied starting the fire, telling officers he used the matches to light his cigarette. His prior record includes a manslaughter guilty plea in Arizona about 14 years ago. Although the evidence is suggestive, it is not a confession; first-degree arson requires proof of knowing and malicious causation. The presence of a utility worker marking a suspected gas line at a burned property in wire photos is a reminder that fire cause investigations must separate possible ignition sources, though authorities have focused their charging decision on Farinacci.

The criminal case is unfolding amid a major disaster. Since last weekend, the fires have displaced 65,000 people, destroyed roughly 700 buildings, and burned through 7,000 acres in and around Spokane, a city of about 230,000. Businesses and the region's Veterans Affairs hospital campus have been evacuated. High winds, high temperatures and dry weather have fueled the three blazes, turning one alleged act of ignition into a mass-impact event. The Old Trails Fire's designation as the most destructive underscores how a single point of ignition can exploit extreme fire weather to overwhelm urban and suburban defenses.