A 37-year-old convicted felon is behind bars on a million-dollar bond, charged with deliberately setting the largest of three wildfires that have torn through the Spokane, Washington, area, destroyed more than 700 buildings, and forced roughly 67,000 people from their homes.
Aaron F. Farinacci was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree arson in connection with the Old Trails Fire, which erupted on August 1, 2026, and remains the most destructive of the three blazes burning across Spokane County. Investigators say a citizen tip led them to Farinacci, and that body camera footage placed him near the fire's point of origin shortly before it ignited.
When deputies took him into custody, Farinacci was carrying waterproof matches and a butane lighter, Fox News reported. The Spokane County Sheriff's Office said those items were "consistent with evidence at the scene."
The break in the case came from an alert bystander. A witness reported seeing Farinacci crouching near a grassy area and behaving nervously just before the Old Trails Fire erupted, Breitbart reported. That tip sent investigators back to body-worn camera footage, which confirmed Farinacci had been in the vicinity.
Sheriff John Nowels credited the public's vigilance during a press conference:
"As it happens in so many critical cases, it was citizens who were paying attention to their surroundings, being aware and willing to step up and say something that led to the relatively quick apprehension of Mr. Farinacci."
The sheriff's office said detectives worked with the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to obtain both an arrest warrant for Farinacci and a search warrant for his residence. Farinacci is being held on a $1 million bond.
Farinacci is not a first-time offender. He was previously convicted of felony manslaughter in Arizona, AP News reported, a conviction that sent him to prison for killing his father. The details of that case and the length of his sentence have not been publicly disclosed in full, but the prior felony record means Farinacci was already a convicted felon at the time of his alleged arson.
That fact transforms the public conversation around the Spokane fires. What officials initially treated as a natural disaster now carries a criminal dimension, and residents who lost everything are grappling with the possibility that one man with a lighter and a violent past may have caused it.
The Old Trails Fire is the largest of three wildfires currently burning in the Spokane area. Together, the blazes have destroyed at least 700 buildings, forced approximately 67,000 evacuations, and scorched roughly 16 square miles, Just The News reported. As of Tuesday morning, containment stood at zero percent, and fire officials warned that conditions could worsen.
More than 1,000 firefighters have been deployed to fight the three fires. President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the area, unlocking federal resources for the response.
Governor Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, called the disaster unprecedented for the region:
"It's a nightmare situation. This is likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane history."
Ferguson did not hold back about the arson charge, either. He told reporters the arrest added a gut-wrenching layer to an already catastrophic event, the Washington Examiner reported.
"It just takes a tragic situation and makes it more heartbreaking to think that much of this damage could have been caused by an individual doing this on purpose."
For the tens of thousands displaced by the fires, the arson charge offers no comfort. Miriam Sim, 76, returned to the site where her home once stood and found only ash and debris.
"There's nothing to save."
Sim's experience reflects the reality facing hundreds of families across the burn zone. With more than 700 structures gone, the rebuilding process will stretch months or years. Many residents had little warning before evacuation orders forced them out, and some left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether Farinacci is suspected of involvement in the other two fires burning in Spokane County. Investigators will need to determine whether the blazes share a common cause or whether the Old Trails Fire was an isolated act. The sheriff's office has not indicated that additional suspects are being sought.
First-degree arson in Washington State is a Class A felony carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison and fines up to $50,000. Given Farinacci's prior felony manslaughter conviction, prosecutors could seek enhanced sentencing if the case moves to trial.
The investigation remains active. Detectives executed a search warrant at Farinacci's residence, though the sheriff's office has not disclosed what, if anything, that search yielded. Fire investigators are still working to map the precise origin and cause of all three blazes, and the zero-percent containment figure means the damage toll could climb before crews gain the upper hand.
For now, Farinacci sits in a cell on a million-dollar bond while more than a thousand firefighters battle the fire he allegedly lit. The people of Spokane are owed answers, and the legal system is owed a case built on every available piece of evidence. When a convicted felon allegedly walks into dry grass with waterproof matches and a lighter, accountability is not optional.
