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The Washington state man accused of starting a wildfire that has destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee around Spokane was previously questioned in connection with two fire investigations last year, according to court documents.
Authorities allege that Aaron Farinacci, 37, of Spokane, started Old Trails fire, one of three major wildfires burning in Spokane county in north-eastern Washington. He was arrested on Monday and booked on suspicion of first-degree arson.
The Old Trails fire is one of more than a dozen large blazes burning in Washington. The state has faced devastating fires in recent days amid what officials have described as an “extraordinary” fire season in the Pacific north-west due to extreme heat, drought and limited resources.
Farinacci has denied that he set the Old Trails fire.
The fires burning around Spokane have scorched more than 10,000 acres. Officials reported that cooler weather and higher relative humidity have aided firefighters in recent days, allowing them to establish containment lines along all three fires.
Crews are now focused on strengthening containment, and preparing for the return of critical fire weather this week and over the weekend.
John Nowels, the Spokane county sheriff, has said Farinacci was first questioned shortly after the Old Trails fire began, after he was identified by witnesses who saw him kneeling in the brush near the fire’s origin.
“He was bent over in the brush, acting nervous,” Paul Child, who was driving in the area with his grandson, told the Associated Press. “You get the feeling this guy’s up to something.”
Farinacci had waterproof matches, cigarettes and a butane lighter in his posession, authorities say. Police arrested him on Monday after an investigators ruled out other possible causes of the fire, and learned that he had been questioned in connection with other fires.
In July 2025, there were several “bus-sized” fires in an area near the Spokane River and Farinacci’s apartment. Police searching for a wildfire suspect at a state park the following month came upon Farinacci sitting on a bench “seemingly out of breath from possibly running”. Law enforcement took photos of him and according to court documents he was wearing a green T-shirt like the one he was seen in on Saturday.
While he was questioned in the two investigations, he was not charged.
Since Farinacci’s arrest in connection with the Old Trails fire, a clearer picture of his criminal history has emerged. He previously served roughly a decade in prison for manslaughter and aggravated assault in the 2010 killing of his father. At age 21, he shot and killed his father after an argument in a family home in Arizona.
He was released from probation in early 2024, and a probation officer said he had a stable residence with his girlfriend and her family, but had not completed a mental health evaluation or domestic violence treatment.
Farinacci is currently being held on $1m bail.
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The Associated Press contributed reporting
