Actress Sydney Sweeney has shared her personal connection to the devastating wildfires impacting her native Spokane, Washington, urging support for relief efforts. Officials reported Tuesday that the blaze has scorched over 10,546 acres and damaged at least 700 structures.
Sweeney, who has received Emmy nominations for her roles in "The White Lotus" and "Euphoria," stated on Instagram Stories that the fires have affected members of her family and her hometown. "Spokane has always been home to me," she wrote. "It's where I grew up, where my family still lives, and where so many of the people and places that shaped me are."
She indicated that her relatives were among the estimated 65,000 people under evacuation orders. "Thousands of families have lost their homes, their belongings, and places of business, including members of my own family," Sweeney said. "This devastation is something our community has never experienced on this scale."
Sweeney noted that Spokane, unlike larger cities, often does not receive the same level of national attention and resources. She promoted four organizations on the ground assisting the community: Innovia Foundation, SpokAnimal, Watch Duty, and Second Harvest. "Every donation, no matter the size, will help support those affected as they begin the long road to rebuilding," she added.
The actress also shared a post from the nonprofit Baby2Baby, which reported delivering nearly 350,000 emergency supplies, including diapers, wipes, formula, and hygiene products, for children and families displaced by the disaster.
Officials announced Monday that Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, a Spokane resident, was arrested and held on $1 million bond on suspicion of first-degree arson in connection with the fires. Court records indicate Farinacci had been questioned by authorities twice last year regarding other fire-related investigations. He previously served about 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault in a 2010 incident in Arizona.
Sweeney previously discussed her family's ties to Spokane in a 2019 interview with Harper's Bazaar Australia, explaining that economic hardship following the 2008 crash led her family to move to Los Angeles, where she began her acting career. She later purchased a house in Spokane that once belonged to her great-grandparents.