Who is Aaron Farinacci? Suspect arrested in connection with Spokane Old Trails Fire

A convicted felon has been arrested on an arson charge in connection with the Old Trails Fire in Spokane, Washington, according to KXLY. Aaron F. Farinacci is suspected to have started that fire that has now burned thousands of acres and hundreds of homes.A view of a burned neighbourhood in the Old Trails Fire, in Spokane, Washington, U.S., August 3, 2026. REUTERS/David Ryder (REUTERS)The announcement was made Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels in a news conference Monday night, August 3. A person reported seeing the suspect looking nervous, and ten minutes later, smoke was rising from the area.A man matching the description was questioned on the day of the fire, but later released. He had waterproof matches and a butane lighter.Also Read | Spokane County wildfires: Shocking viral video shows several houses on fire, ‘Memories lost forever’Authorities later pieced together evidence and positively identified the man. They developed probable cause that the man was kneeling in the grass at the spot where the fire had begun.Who is Aaron F. Farinacci?Farinacci, 37, was arrested Monday night in the City of Spokane. He is now being held on a $1 million bond.Farinacci has a previous conviction for manslaughter in Arizona.The Old Trails Fire started Saturday afternoon, August 1, near Airway Heights. It quickly pushed through Riverside State Park and into neighborhoods in north Spokane.The fire burned hundreds of structures, including entire neighborhoods. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes.This fire is one of three burning in the Spokane area, and is considered to be the top fire priority in the nation. The blazes have burned more than 10,000 acres as of Monday evening.Also Read | Spokane County power outage map, updates: Ava customers hardest hit as wildfire forces evacuations According to Sheriff Nowels, there is no indication that Farinacci was responsible for the other fires burning in Spokane.The Old Trails Fire was being fueled extreme fire weather conditions, CNN reported. It had burned nearly 3,000 acres on Saturday, Washington State Forester George Geissler said at a news conference. About 4,000 buildings were threatened in the area at the time. “When the sun sets and the sun rises in the morning, I think we’re going to be in shock to see some of the scenes that emerge out of there,” Washington National Guard Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh said at the time.Level 3, the highest level of evacuation order, was issued for several areas in the Spokane area. Residents were urged to “leave now due to the life-threatening conditions.” An evacuation shelter was also opened at a community college.