A 37-year-old Washington man has been arrested and charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, one of several wildfires that have ravaged the Spokane area, destroying hundreds of structures and prompting widespread evacuations.
Authorities identified the suspect as Aaron F. Farinacci. He was taken into custody Monday by detectives from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and investigators from the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The sheriff's office stated that citizen tips and information from local law enforcement officers who responded to the initial incident contributed to developing probable cause for Farinacci's arrest.
While Farinacci has been described by authorities as a convicted felon from Arizona, they have not found any prior documented criminal history involving fires. Investigators have stated they are not currently linking Farinacci to two other major blazes in the region, the Autumn Lane and Fairview fires.
During a news briefing, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels cautioned that first-degree arson was the charge supported by probable cause at that stage of the investigation and that the case could evolve as more evidence is gathered. Sheriff Nowels also indicated that authorities would be looking into any other potential crimes Farinacci may have committed in the past.
Detectives secured an arrest warrant for Farinacci and a search warrant for his residence. Deputies executed the warrants Monday and arrested Farinacci without incident. Authorities reported finding a butane lighter and waterproof matches during his detention and search.
Farinacci was booked into the Spokane County Jail with bail set at $1 million. He was arrested on a first-degree arson charge. Police have not yet connected him to the other fires.
The Old Trails Fire was initially reported on Saturday. As of Monday, it remained uncontained and had become the largest of the three destructive fires burning around Spokane. Collectively, the three fires had destroyed at least 700 structures and led to evacuation orders affecting approximately 67,000 people, according to The Associated Press. Over 1,000 firefighters were engaged in battling these blazes.
Amidst drought conditions, unusually high temperatures, and strong winds, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency on Saturday. This declaration also implemented a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning, effective through September 30.