A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the largest of the wildfires currently burning around Spokane, Washington, a city that has seen over 60,000 residents evacuated.
Aaron Farinacci, 37, was apprehended by the Spokane County Sheriff's office. According to authorities, he was observed kneeling near grass at the site of the Old Trails fire and was later found to be in possession of matches and a lighter. Farinacci, a Spokane resident, is being held on a charge of first-degree arson and a $1 million bond. He has a prior manslaughter conviction, the Sheriff's office stated.
The fires have devastated the area, destroying more than 700 buildings, with an additional 400 yet to be assessed. Thousands of acres have burned.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson described the situation as a "nightmare scenario," adding, "This is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane history." The city's mayor, Lisa Brown, expressed concern about the potential for loss of life and noted that it is too early to determine when residents might be able to return to their homes. As of the latest reports, no deaths or injuries have been confirmed. Authorities are attempting to contact 14 individuals who are unreachable by mobile phone, though they are not yet considered missing. The Sheriff's office believes many of these individuals may have been evacuated but lost phone signal or had depleted batteries.
The Old Trails fire is one of three major blazes in the Spokane area, alongside the Fairview and Autumn Lane fires. These are part of a larger outbreak of 16 wildfires across Washington state, according to the state's department of natural resources. While firefighters have made progress on two of the Spokane fires, and cooler temperatures and lighter winds were forecast for Tuesday, there is concern that temperatures may rise again later in the week.